life
It is quite rare for a joyous occasion to turn into a religious event, then into a funeral, all within a single day.
“The lungs have already started to fibrose.” Ariel looked down and performed a preliminary autopsy on the still breathing body on the ground. “Unless you replace her lungs and blood vessels on the spot, you’d better pack up and get ready.”
After saying that, she left the center of the chaos without looking back, her face quite grim.
The banquet hall finally descended into irreversible chaos. The death sentence-like declaration wasn't the culprit; it was the scene everyone witnessed. Some rushed to support the still-breathing elderly man, spouting platitudes like "Cheer up, hang in there!" Others frantically ran to the door for help, only to find it guarded. Chaos ensued. Those outside the banquet hall, oblivious to what was happening, continued eating, wondering why the next guest hadn't come up yet.
Yan Xizhao stepped in front of Gu Wanqiu, stopping the angry guests who rushed towards her, and also caught the wine glasses and even the knives and forks that were thrown at her. The latter lowered her head from the chaos and met the eyes of the old man on the ground who was laughing endlessly. His blood-stained mouth moved, and it was unclear what he was saying.
Gu Wanqiu sighed.
"You—" Bai Yunjian finally realized what had happened. He looked at the ground, at the mayor and her bodyguard who were still being pushed around, and then at the completely destroyed banquet.
He reached into his pocket and pulled out his phone with trembling hands.
"Cough cough—" The old woman coughed up blood with clots again, but her expression was as cheerful as if she had drunk good wine. The bloodstains on her face added to her complexion, making her look nothing like a person who was about to die.
"Bai Langtao, hang in there!" a guest supporting her cried out sadly, then looked up and asked, "Where's the doctor? Isn't there a doctor?"
"...I, my child," the old woman gasped, grasping the hand supporting her with astonishing strength. "Oh God, Tian Tian, my child, she, cough—"
Another mouthful of blood surged up her throat and was spat out. More and more guests gathered around, calling out "Bai Langtao," "Chairman Bai," "Old Bai," "Chairman," and some even called out "Bai Yuntian." But the old woman only responded to the last name, which belonged to someone else. When someone called out that person's name, she would laugh, then spit out another mouthful of blood, and then irrevocably lose her already declining life.
On stage, Dong Yilin stood motionless at the edge of the stage, his hands behind his back, like a tree, looking down at the people. Then he slowly turned his gaze to another person who was almost completely isolated from the crowd.
Bai Yunxian's shoulders were stiff. Her head was bowed, and her hands trembled as she clenched them into fists, each clutching something: a nebulizer in her left hand and a string of pendants in her right. Which one would work? Which one could cure that madwoman? Which one could help her see reality clearly in her final moments? Or perhaps, it would be better to let her die in madness?
She didn't choose either side.
Bai Yunxian pushed through the crowd, ignoring the glasses lying on the ground, the stares and voices directed at her, the blood on the ground, and the shards of glass scattered everywhere. She squeezed to the old woman's side, embraced her tightly, and with great force, sent her own heartbeat before the irreversibly slowed heartbeat, then shouted loudly in the woman's left ear, "Mom!"
The person being embraced, whose pupils were beginning to dilate, suddenly stopped smiling. It turned out that she could also show sadness on her face. She froze with an almost bewildered expression, and then slowly, tremblingly, firmly embraced him back.
"Xianxian, I—" Bai Guanhai patted her hand repeatedly, as if confirming something. She looked up, her cloudy eyes staring at the sky, blood gushing from the corners of her eyes and mouth, but it couldn't stop her almost hoarse voice from resounding in Bai Yunxian's ears, "I'm sorry, Xianxian, I'm sorry, Mommy is so sorry, Xianxian—"
Bai Yunxian said nothing. Her entire upper body was covered in blood, and she trembled as if she were taking the blame for Bai Guanhai. As her hand slowly slid down her back, she knew that the person in her arms was dead.
"Get those two under control first!" Bai Yunjian held up his phone, hurriedly pointing out the suspects to the arriving security team members, and then gave instructions, "Also, call an ambulance immediately, have the host go on stage to apologize first, and then arrange for the guests to go back to their rooms to rest."
Without the help of the security team, Yan Xizhao and Gu Wanqiu had already been forced back to the back of the stage by the angry guests. Except for a few particularly agitated people who were asked to leave the safe area by the bodyguards, they simply gave way to the rest of the attacks.
“…Let’s go backstage first.” Gu Wanqiu said, frowning as she backed away. “I’ll be back later—”
As soon as she finished speaking, the backstage door was kicked open from the inside behind her. The door scraped against her back and slammed against the side wall with a loud crash. The staggering, disheveled guest stumbled out of the door. Despite it being a good day, the man was soaked to the bone and was still dripping water onto the floor.
That's so against the rules; no one would welcome this guest.
The loud noise startled Yan Xizhao, who turned around in panic. She tried to shake off the security guards who were pulling her and rush behind her to block the sharp knife that the man was about to stab at Gu Wanqiu's back. However, she was too close to the man and the darkness. She could only watch as the figure covered in blood and oil raised his hand, and a silver light flashed in the darkness.
A flash of silver light streaked across the white line as Cheng Xiangwu severed the man's hand. A navy cap flew through the air as Yan Xizhao lunged at Gu Wanqiu, tackling her to the ground and using her arm to block the incoming bayonet. Ignoring her cut, she quickly rose, raising her hand to check the smell of liquid on the ground. She hurriedly looked up and exclaimed, "It's gasoline! This person—"
Looking up again, the filthy man who had been pressed down on the ground by Cheng Xiangwu smiled bitterly. His face was covered in blood and his expression was twisted. Only his exposed teeth and red gums were clearly visible and terrifying.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiangwu prepared to pierce the man's neck, but it was too late. Flames erupted from beneath him and quickly shot up. After Cheng Xiangwu jumped away, the man was completely engulfed in the fire fueled by his own life. The dark red liquid that spread from beneath him, whether blood or oil, was similar to the liquid in the coffin.
The fire spread rapidly with the help of the accelerant, quickly reaching the area where the guests were. Security personnel rushed to protect them, shielding them from the flames and the severed hand that had rolled out of the fire. But no one could stop the flames, and those present disregarded everything else, leading those around them towards the main entrance of the banquet hall.
The flames separated the two sides.
A strange fragrance filled the air. Yan Xizhao helped Gu Wanqiu up, ignoring the writhing, burning body on the ground. Gritting her teeth, she led her across the flames backstage. The person she was supporting had been motionless like a corpse for some time now. Cheng Xiangwu groped around the stage and finally found the fire extinguisher button. She smashed it through the glass, starting the sprinklers, and then jumped into the backstage dressing room.
There was no one in the room, only a trail of liquid dragged from the back door all the way to the stage. Yan Xizhao laid Gu Wanqiu flat on the sofa, rolled up her left sleeve, and took out a palm-sized first aid kit from his coat pocket, quickly unfolding it.
She didn't explain anything to Cheng Xiangwu, who had rushed in with her, but simply said in a deep voice, "Keep an eye on the people and help me set up the lights."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiangwu took out his phone, turned on the flashlight, squatted down, and shone it on Gu Wanqiu's arm. The skin surface, which was wiped by an alcohol swab, was covered with countless needle marks. Yan Xizhao quickly disinfected the area and used a syringe to draw out the fluid. After expelling the air, he inserted the syringe into Gu Wanqiu's vein. The discarded medicine bottle rolled to the side, and its contents matched those in the medicine photo sent by Ye Luan.
The syringe was empty, but Gu Wanqiu remained unresponsive. Her head hung low, and even her breathing was barely perceptible. Yan Xizhao's expression tightened upon seeing this, but he did not panic. Instead, he looked at Cheng Xiangwu.
“…If she doesn’t wake up this time.” She paused, gripping the fabric of her clothes tightly, and said solemnly, “If she dies, go find the bar owner; she will finish what we couldn’t do.”
"...What do you mean—" Cheng Xiangwu paused, pointing to the medicine for confirmation, "That...it didn't work? She's still breathing, how could it—"
“This can only be a temporary relief…” Yan Xizhao looked at the door at the stage. The flames caused by the gasoline had not been extinguished much by the sprinklers and were about to burn in along the trail. Without the brim of her hat to cover her face, her face was still sharp and intimidating. She raised her head and spoke in a tone so heavy that it sounded like a threat, “Last time… Anyway, since you saw everything, you have to take the truth out.”
“…She…” Cheng Xiangwu looked at the person on the sofa, her voice tight.
The flames that burned into the backstage dressing room brought up black smoke, and the smoke alarm inside the room flashed frequently. Then the fire alarm went off loudly. As if startled by the overly stimulating siren, Gu Wanqiu suddenly took a deep breath and then began to cough uncontrollably. Yan Xizhao hurriedly brought her some water, and she drank several sips and rubbed her temples before she calmed down.
"...You're awake." Cheng Xiangwu squatted down beside the sofa, looked at her and said, "You're awake."
“…Yes.” Gu Wanqiu put down the water bottle and sighed, “…that old madman.”
"You should leave quickly." Cheng Xiangwu stood up and pointed to the back door, saying, "The city police said they would block the emergency exits on the east and west sides. Xie Wuchang and the others are on the west side, so you should go through there."
"Thank you." Yan Xizhao nodded, packed his things, and hurriedly helped Gu Wanqiu up. He said to her, "We need to leave before things get chaotic here too. Can you still walk?"
“…Okay.” Gu Wanqiu nodded, swaying as she stood up, then looked at Cheng Xiangwu and asked, “Aren’t you coming with us?”
"I still have things to do." Cheng Xiangwu shook his head.
“…Take care.” Gu Wanqiu looked at her and said softly.
"Take care," Yan Xizhao said in a deep voice. "If you end up in the hospital later, we'll come find you."
"Alright." Cheng Xiangwu smiled, watched the two leave, then turned and walked down the corridor to the other end of the stairs, down to the first floor. Just now, she heard Bai Yuntian say something on the phone: "Hurry up, sis. What do you mean work is more important? Do you know what's happening here? You're still working? No, don't hang up—" Based on that, Bai Yuntian must be in a conference room somewhere on the first floor.
Thinking of this person, Cheng Xiangwu also thought of Bai Yunxian. In the end, she only saw the other person's kneeling and motionless back. She wondered what Bai Yunxian was thinking and whether she was safe now.
"...Would I ever have thought about this before?" the Thinker murmured to himself, turning left at the green fluorescent sign at the escape route and entering the east corridor of the lobby on the first floor. Previously, people often moved around here, either making phone calls or chatting in small groups as they went in and out of the meeting rooms and computer rooms; now, most of them had gone to safer places, and this place was deserted.
The frosted glass in the conference room didn't show the screen, but it could still reveal people's figures. Cheng Xiangwu walked through each room to check, and at a corner, she was suddenly grabbed by the arm. She paused and saw that the figure hiding behind the standing stone sculpture was Ariyenor. At this moment, she was holding her square-headed iron fork and pressed tightly against the wall, like a thief.
“…Try using those adjectives to describe me again?” Ariyenor said, dissatisfied, but her voice remained low. She shook her chin, gesturing for Cheng Xiangwu to look deeper into the corridor.
Thanks to her improved eyesight, Cheng Xiangwu immediately spotted a figure in front of the door at the end of the corridor. It was clearly a guard, and there was only one person. She wasn't even carrying a weapon or anything; she was just standing with her hands behind her back and her head down, looking listless and about to doze off.
But this person is Xue Rong.
"...What do we do?" Arienne asked anxiously. "How do we fight this gatekeeper monster?"
"Where's your gun?" Cheng Xiangwu asked in a low voice.
"...What kind of staff member is allowed to bring a gun into the association?" Arienne said discontentedly. "Besides, you and I personally tested it last time, and neither cold weapons nor firearms work on this person."
Cheng Xiangwu peered through the crack in the stone carving again, and saw the one-eyed old man yawn. Bai Yunxian wasn't present this time either, so it seemed there was no way to make an exception. As she was observing, she suddenly felt a tickle at her feet. Looking down, she saw Alice standing brightly in the corridor, peering into the hidden area behind the stone carving, and tugging at her trouser leg.
"...This isn't it." Xue Rong squinted at the white cat with his one eye, then perked up and waved, "Isn't this Alice? Hehehe."
Cats have the right to stand anywhere on this planet and do anything without any reason, and no one can question it. Cheng Xiang remained unmoved, hoping that Alice would leave on her own to go play with Xue Rong or go back to Du Liang.
"Ah!" Du Liang came looking for herself. She ran quickly from the other end of the corridor towards Alice, and also saw the two people hiding behind the stone sculpture. "Alice is here... Ah, you're here too!"
She picked up Alice, looking at the two people staring at her with puzzled expressions, then glanced at the stone sculpture, and finally looked into the depths of the corridor, where she saw the person in front of the door.
"...Isn't this Aunt Xue!" She quickly recognized her and waved, raising her voice to greet her, "Long time no see! How are you feeling?"
Xue Rong then mimicked her gesture, raising her hand in a wave and saying with a smile, "Long time no see! You three over there, aren't you going to come and see me?"
Since this person had said these words, the three people present naturally had to react. Du Liang scurried over to Xue Rong, while Cheng Xiangwu, carrying Arienor who was muttering, "The three of you probably mean you and Alice," stepped out of the shadows and walked into the depths of the corridor.
"I thought I wouldn't see you again." Xue Rong smiled and patted Alice. "Why didn't Xiao Liang go to eat? Although there's no food there now, hahaha!"
"The people over there wouldn't let Alice in," Du Liang said, sounding a little disappointed, but quickly cheered up again. "But the auntie in the kitchen gave us boxed lunches and even let me get my own drinks!"
"It's good that you're not hungry." Xue Rong nodded, then smiled and looked at the two people walking behind her, asking, "What are you here for this time?"
“…Don’t ask pointless questions.” Arienne raised her head and looked directly at the other person, saying, “Since you know that the person behind that door is not your student, and your boss is dead, you have achieved your purpose in coming here.”
Upon hearing this, Xue Rong simply nodded casually, "So what?"
“From both a moral and logical standpoint, you shouldn’t continue to block this way,” Arienor said coldly. “No one here needs you anymore, Miss Xue Rong.”
“…Oh.” Xue Rong looked at Ariyenor and said casually, “But I have to keep my promise.”
"What?" Du Liang frowned, somewhat frightened by the tense atmosphere. "Are you arguing? Why?"
She looked at Xue Rong, who was standing with his hands behind his back, then at the two of them, and asked in confusion, "What are you doing?"
"It's nothing serious, Xiao Liang." Xue Rong shook her head. "They need to get through here, but I can't let anyone through. It's just a very simple little thing."
"Oh..." Du Liang said thoughtfully, holding the cat.
“…So,” Xue Rong looked at the two of them again and said, “if you want to go over there, then kill me.”
Although she had anticipated this, Cheng Xiangwu still sighed and asked without much hope, "Aren't there any other options?"
"Hmm..." Xue Rong frowned and thought seriously, "Why don't you guys revive my boss and have her withdraw her agreement with me?"
"Why didn't you say so earlier?" Cheng Xiangwu said, thinking to himself that this old man was quite troublesome.
"Ah, not that one," Xue Rong waved her hand and laughed, "It's the one from thirty years ago."
"...So you actually knew about this all along." Cheng Xiangwu sighed.
“We agreed that she would help me settle down, and I would help her look after the door.” Xue Rong nodded. “Now that the house is settled, I should also make sure the door is in good condition.”
"...Auntie, so you actually have a home." Du Liang tilted his head and said softly, "I thought you were just wandering around..."
"Hahaha!" Xue Rong laughed, then said seriously, "How can that be called wandering? People with homes will not drift away even if they wander around. Xiao Liang, having a home to return to is a very important thing. You will understand when you grow up."
"Then why don't you go back to visit?" Du Liang asked, puzzled.
"I do go back occasionally," Xue Rong said with a smile, "to do some cleaning or something."
“I was talking about my hometown,” Du Liang said. “Auntie, aren’t you from out of town? Why don’t you go back to visit?”
"...I'm too old to walk anymore." Xue Rong said this after a moment of silence.
"No way," Du Liang said, completely unconvinced. "You were able to climb the mountain to knock on the door, how could you not be able to walk?"
She looked at the old woman for a long time, then said with certainty, "Aunt Xue, you can't go home."
Xue Rong sighed and did not answer. She stood there, out of place with the carved door behind her. Although they might be of similar age, the door had been carefully polished and was shining brightly not long ago, while she was so old that she could only walk towards a dusty grave.
“…An old house, family, things to cherish.” After a moment of silence, Ariel looked up and asked, “Miss Xue Rong, what is your definition of home?”
"After you die, bury me somewhere that won't need to be moved again," Xue Rong answered decisively. After she finished speaking, she didn't speak again, but stood with her hands behind her back, as quiet as a clock in a corridor.
Seeing her posture, Cheng Xiangwu knew that there was no point in negotiating. She raised her hand to make Ariyenor step back, and with her other hand behind her back, she prepared to draw her knife.
"I understand." Du Liang suddenly realized, and landed firmly on his feet. "Aunt Xue, I'll help you fulfill your promise!"
“…Hmm?” Xue Rong asked, somewhat puzzled.
Cheng Xiangwu looked at Du Liang, who had thrown Alice on the ground, and asked, "What have you figured out?"
“Aunt Xue, you can’t fulfill that promise by yourself.” Du Liang said to Xue Rong with his hands hanging naturally at his sides, “The living will keep thinking about the things that have been agreed upon, and they will never be able to achieve them or be satisfied. The dead will not respond. This is a very distressing thing, isn’t it?”
“…Xiao Liang, she has done enough and apologized to me.” Xue Rong said in a deep voice, “She made a promise to me before she died that everything about her would be none of my business after she died, but a promise is a promise. Let’s just say it was wishful thinking on my part. If I don’t keep my promise, what’s the point of living?”
“Even the reasons you give her, the complaints you make to her, she won’t hear anymore. She’s clearly your friend, isn’t she? If this continues, you’ll die alone with resentment, doing things you don’t want to do and getting nothing in return.” Du Liang took a deep breath, raised his hand, and said in a pose, “That’s pathetic, so I’m here to save you.”
Looking at Du Liang, Xue Rong sighed and laughed, "...You're clearly no longer a member of the Du family."
“This is something I wanted to do myself.” Du Liang smiled, then said seriously, “The fact that we couldn’t decide a winner in the previous forty-nine duels is a regret for both of us. Aunt Xue, there is no winner to be decided this time.”
Cheng Xiangwu looked at her, but Du Liang didn't turn around. He simply said, "Sister, you also have things to do, right?"
"...Isn't there something interesting going on?" Xue Rong looked up and sighed. The wrinkles on her face seemed to flow as she gazed at the sky. After a soft laugh, she stopped putting her hands behind her back and looked at the other two, saying, "One of you may go in."
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiangwu looked at Ariyenor, only to find that she was also looking at her. She thought about her request, then reached out her hand and said, "I'll bring your things back for you."
Upon hearing this, Ariyenor, still holding the square-headed iron fork, stared at Cheng Xiangwu's head without saying a word.
“…I’m wearing gloves,” Cheng Xiangwu said helplessly, clenching her fingers.
“…Hmph.” Arienor handed over the iron fork, pointed to the ground and said, “If your brain is still functioning by then, bring the item to me underground.”
"Hey, that's not a good omen," Xue Rong said, peeking out.
"Okay," Cheng Xiangwu replied, taking the iron fork. Seeing the man still looking at him, she asked, puzzled, "What's wrong?"
“…Think about it yourself.” Arienne said nothing more, turned and quickly left.
Cheng Xiangwu tossed the strange new weapon in her hand, then quickly walked past the duelists and Alice, who was probably the referee, and pushed open the heavy door behind Xue Rong.
She had never been to this area before. After all, the door looked quite formal, presumably reserved for important guests. Now that the guests' fates were unknown, its importance was certainly evident. Behind the door was a simple reception room, with another door in front. The gap that had been gradually closing behind finally disappeared, leaving only one person in this secluded and quiet space who needed to make a decision.
Cheng Xiangwu took out the medicine that Bai Yunxian had given her, but she was unable to prescribe the right medicine as decisively as she had done before. If the symptoms happened to be what the patient needed, should the disease still be treated?
She still walked to this door and faced this problem again. In the end, if she didn't want to face this moment, Cheng Xiangwu should have pushed open the door at the emergency exit. But she seemed to have lost her mind and turned around before that, only starting to be troubled by this problem after arriving here. But it's okay, the problem will wait for her.
"Should I revert to being that incomplete person?" she asked herself. If she decided, she would use the drugs to vomit up everything she had gained, then push open the door and kill that being. If she couldn't decide, she would simply turn around and leave Mori Lake City. No one would blame her, no one would reprimand her, no one would know what she was going to do, and no one would even be disappointed in her—
Except for Ariyenor.
After a long silence, Cheng Xiangwu put away the medicine and pushed open the door to enter.
There was only one person in the large conference room prepared for important guests. The bright light outside the window obscured the scenery. My gaze swept over the neatly arranged wooden chairs and the oil paintings hanging through the window. At the end of the large wooden table sat Bai Yuntian. She was very busy, flipping through some papers with one hand and typing on a laptop with the other. She hadn't even had time to change her clothes and was still wearing that curtain-like cloak.
"Wait a moment." She spoke to Cheng Xiangwu as he approached, putting down the paper with a blank expression and typing with both hands at a speed that was almost a blur. Just by looking at it, there was no doubt that the person sitting behind the computer was a real person, as if they would die instantly if their head were to fall off.
Since she had said that, Cheng Xiangwu had no choice. It was the first time she had ever seen someone rush to work right after being resurrected. Well, this was also the first time she had ever seen someone resurrected.
After pressing the Enter key once, Bai Yuntian's expression finally softened. She looked up at Cheng Xiangwu and said, "I remember you. You came to kill Bai Yuntian."
That sounded strange, so Cheng Xiangwu looked at her and asked, "Is there anyone else here?"
“…It’s just you and me.” Bai Yuntian said, taking his hands off the keyboard and placing them alternately in front of him, his gaze turning to the window. “Just like not long ago, when ‘I’ first ‘saw’ your portrait, the information I obtained was a strange feeling. The most fitting adjective I can find is ‘waking up from a dream.’”
She remained motionless, but her voice carried a hint of doubt, "Can you tell me, does Mori Lake City really exist? Or is all of this just a projection of my dream?"
The question echoed in the spacious conference room, spiraling upwards, lingering briefly on the arched ceiling before dissipating, but it still stubbornly awaited a resolution from someone else.
Does Moriko City really exist?
"...You're asking me?" Cheng Xiangwu pointed to herself in confusion. "Why do you think I can tell you the answer?"
“No one can tell me the answer, but if you tell me the answer, I will record it as reality.” Bai Yuntian turned to look at Cheng Xiangwu and said calmly, “Because according to all of my logic, you can be called my mother.”
"...What?" Cheng Xiangwu was so shocked that she didn't know what to say. "Do you know that you are older than me? Whether it's the time you've lived, or the time you've spent flying around here, it's much longer than my life, okay?"
“There is no concept of time in dreams.” Bai Yuntian’s tone remained calm.
“…Then let me tell you, this is reality, Senhu City is my home, I am a person here.” Cheng Xiangwu said, drawing the knife from behind her back. “I can prove it to you.”
“…Alright.” Bai Yuntian turned his head, but his eyes didn’t move. “Let’s talk about the other side. I don’t think I’m your assassination target.”
She didn't look at the knife in Cheng Xiangwu's hand, but instead flipped through the documents on the table. "I stand in reality, and all the information I receive proves that I am a human named 'Bai Yuntian,' and what I need to do is to protect this company as the controller of Bai Bai Co., Ltd. So I started to handle the mission according to this logic. The biggest threat that the company is currently facing is an organization called 'the Guild.'"
Several photos and documents were held up, and Cheng Xiangwu recognized them as the works of Diana.
“After searching and analyzing all the information I have, I have come to the conclusion.” Bai Yuntian put down the items in his hands, clasped his hands together to support his chin, and frowned as if puzzled, saying, “The target of this special organization’s operation is ‘me’, and by extension, the most efficient way to handle the mission is to kill ‘me’.”
Having said that, Cheng Xiangwu also found it hard to believe that the person in front of her was really Bai Yuntian. She was completely different from the person in the ancestral hall. Her way of speaking, the rise and fall of her gestures, and even her expression were all different. This person was definitely not the one who would resolutely kill the enemy in vain according to her own decision.
But who could she be?
“All my information tells me that Bai Yuntian is someone who would give his life for Bai Bai.” The way she was thinking didn’t seem like Bai Yuntian either. “But, ‘I’ don’t want to die like this.”
“…You want to prove to me that you’re not that person, fine.” Cheng Xiang nodded. “Then you’re not Bai Yuntian.”
"...I knew it." The being seemed somewhat pleased.
“But I came here to kill you, not Bai Yuntian, but ‘you’.” Cheng Xiangwu pointed the tip of her knife at the being. She looked at the light that flashed from the tip, then avoided it and looked directly into Cheng Xiangwu’s eyes.
"Who am I?" she asked.
Cheng Xiangwu really didn't know, nor did she want to think about the answer to this question. She flashed behind that being, held her chin with her left hand, and felt that the bones were indeed human. With her right hand, she slashed open the throat below, and the feel was no different from that of a human.
The being, like a human being, gushed blood from having its throat slit. The blood, like a net, spread across the documents and computer on the table, but before it actually touched them, it froze in mid-air as if a video had been paused. Then it rewound, and the head that had fallen due to the torn skin was closed up by the being's own hands. Finally, even the wound disappeared without a trace.
As expected, this method wouldn't kill him. Cheng Xiangwu took two steps back, her heart sinking.
“…These documents are very important.” Bai Yuntian cleared his throat and said, “So, you want to kill me because of those previous murders?”
“...It’s because of your family of origin.” Cheng Xiangwu found a word, “That underground stuff, it’ll never end if it’s not dealt with, you know that, right?”
"...I don't deny that." The being tilted its head thoughtfully, then raised a finger as if remembering something. "However, on this point, I can recommend another target, my kind, she—"
"She's the one who introduced you to me." Cheng Xiangwu sighed as she spoke. She shouldn't have done that; it would lead to non-compliant bidding.
“…I believe myself to be larger and more valuable than her,” the being said. “Could you tell me your reasons for choosing me as your target?”
“Because she’s my aunt.” Cheng Xiangwu said, not expecting the other person to understand what she was saying. She took two steps back, took out the atomizer from her pocket, sighed softly, and made her decision.
“…I see.” The being’s expression actually conveyed understanding. “In that case, there’s nothing we can do about it.”
"You're quick to accept it." Cheng Xiangwu put the medicine mouthpiece to his mouth, ready to drop something.
"Because for 'Baiyuntian,' family is the most important thing." The being looked at the thing in Chengxiangwu's hand with some curiosity.
"...Then why did you hang up on Baiyunjian just now?" Cheng Xiangwu took advantage of the drug's effects to chat a little longer and prolong her dizziness.
"You mean Bai Guanhai?" The voice of that being gradually distorted from Bai Yuntian's tone, the intonation, the pitch, and even the placement of the words became twisted and unnatural. It chuckled in a dull, strange, and emotionless voice and said, "The dead should not affect reality. 'I' knew about her death in advance, so I arranged other tasks for her."
Amidst her dizziness, the world blurred once more. A familiar nausea gripped Cheng Xiangwu's stomach, but this time it was much milder; at least she could still breathe, and that was enough. In her vision, Bai Yuntian, who had been sitting in the chair, had transformed back into his floating figure, his enormous, twisted body suspended upside down in space, his pale mask facing her.
“…Why do you still look like this?” Cheng Xiangwu said in a low voice, covering her throbbing forehead.
Its movement froze.
"You see me." Its voice was devoid of emotion, its writhing movements unindicating its target, only growing larger and more clamorous. "You see me. You want to kill me. I want to live, I want to live—"
Its cries suddenly ceased at the highest peak, as did the black object that danced and covered the surrounding windows. It swelled in size, yet seemed to be confused about what clothes to wear, unable to make a decision for a long time.
"Who am I?" it asked. The voice did not come from any location, but came directly from inside Cheng Xiangwu's body, as if a broadcaster had been installed in her ear mold, forcefully and irresistibly stuffing its question into her brain.
"If I'm not Bai Yuntian, then who am I?" it asked. "Do I even exist?"
What was that? Cheng Xiangwu stared directly at the mask. How could she recognize such a thing? How could such a thing appear in Senhu City? But it did appear, and she understood, recognized, and perceived it.
"Think about it yourself," Cheng Xiangwu said.
This sentence served as a trigger, and everything emanating from that being in the vast conference room was instantly gathered back. The wind stirred up by its movement caused the documents on the table to flutter, but it no longer cared as before. It simply shrank everything into a circle, hanging in the sky, its edges twisting, while only the mask remained a complete circle.
Just like the moon, Cheng Xiangwu thought.
“I want to live,” it said. “Therefore, I will face you in the most powerful form I have ever seen.”
Upon hearing this, Xiangwu tensed up. She gripped the knife in her hand tightly, watching the entity twist and grow larger, transforming into a chaotic being in the shape of a human. Then, the details were finalized, and the colors finally calmed down.
The astronaut hovered in mid-air, his skin torn and missing an arm, the black glass on his helmet reflecting or revealing nothing.
"...How could something like this appear in Senhu City?" Cheng Xiangwu wondered.
The entity remained silent, slowly descending from mid-air and approaching. The shattered safety harness floating behind it resembled a tail. Only at close range did Cheng Xiangwu realize for the first time how large an astronaut's helmet was. She didn't think her knife could pierce the suit or helmet, so she raised the iron fork that Ariyenor had given her.
As she thought, "The astronauts really have to let the aliens deal with them," she threw the object in her hand toward the target.
Just like last time, the magnetic fork head seemed to be sucking the spacesuit in, pulling it downwards. The fork, which had little weight in the hand, felt as heavy as a thousand pounds when it was pinned to that object, peeling it off piece by piece. The astronaut's helmet struggled to fly upwards. Before they could coordinate their movements, the clothes and helmet separated in an instant. But what was exposed was not a human torso, but black wires twisting like electrical wires.
Amidst the tangled web of black lines, the one wielding the knife flipped onto the table, fixed her gaze on her target, and leaped. Her weight, carrying her still-suspended head, slammed it onto the floor with a deafening crash, the helmet creating a dent in the conference room's tiled floor. She grabbed the end of the black line attached to the helmet, which twisted and struggled like octopus tentacles, trying to entangle her, and swung the knife—
Cheng Xiangwu cut off its head.
The black line connecting the missing head went silent in an instant. Cheng Xiangwu picked up the helmet and shook it, revealing a pale mask that still looked like this. Cheng Xiangwu breathed a sigh of relief, carefully put away the important prop, and looked back at the iron fork. The large piece of astronaut uniform that it had peeled off had melted into a dark, oily puddle on the ground, like petroleum. He touched it and found it to be hard.
Looking at the pile of things on the ground, Cheng Xiangwu looked around, took out a garbage bag from a cabinet in the corner of the conference room, put it in the bag, picked up the square iron fork, and turned to walk out of the conference room.
The world returned to the way it had been not long ago, and Cheng Xiangwu began to regret the food she had eaten earlier. She thought to herself that she should have eaten more, but her teeth were aching slightly.
"Forget it," she thought again, "my teeth are more important."
Rain had started falling outside the window sometime earlier. Cheng Xiangwu pushed open the conference room door with her spoils. It was just as quiet as when she had entered. Du Liang was kneeling with his back to her in front of Xue Rong, who was sitting diagonally against the wall. His one eye was closed, and he had a peaceful smile on his face, as if he were asleep.
“…Sister.” Du Liang turned to look at the person who came out of the door. She looked somewhat disheveled, with blood at the corner of her mouth, the hem of her black robe torn, and her right arm hanging limply. But when she spoke, she had a smile on her face. “Have you finished what you needed to do?”
“…Almost there.” Cheng Xiangwu sighed, walked over to Du Liang, squatted down, took off her coat to hold her arm in place, wiped her face, and asked, “What about you?”
“Me too,” Du Liang said calmly. “I’m taking Aunt Xue back to her hometown, and then, I want this place.”
“…Take care.” Cheng Xiangwu said, standing up and turning to walk towards the elevator.
“You are too, sister,” Du Liang said.
The elevator in the lobby opened quickly after the down button lit up. Cheng Xiangwu paused for a moment, then entered and headed towards the underground laboratory. The door opened, and the passageway ahead was half-open, with faint light emanating from within.
Fire again! Cheng Xiangwu had a bad feeling. She quickly walked across the corridor to the laboratory door. A corner of the glass window was broken, and the firelight was coming from there. She went to open the laboratory door, but found that not only was the handle hot, but the door was also secured with a padlock.
"Step back from the door!" she shouted. Five seconds later, she took a half step back, kicked the padlock off the door with three kicks, and kicked the door open. In an instant, flames burst out. Cheng Xiangwu took a half step back, raised her hand to cover her face, squinted her eyes, and stepped into the fire.
Ariel was sitting by the door, but only her back was covered in blood. Her head was missing from her neck upwards. Cheng Xiangwu was shocked and followed the spurting blood. Before he himself caught fire, he successfully found the familiar foreign head in a gap under the experimental table.
The man who had just chopped off one head carefully crouched in front of the headless corpse, holding the other head, which had some charred hair, and placed it on the neck.
“…I’ll believe if a miracle happens,” she murmured to herself. She should pray, but she didn’t know any god.
Blood oozed from the wound and the suture line, soaking the already blood-stained shirt and bow tie. A few drops fell onto the gemstone, causing it to sparkle. Cheng Xiangwu held Ariyenor's face in her hands, her back burning from the fire, but she still dared not let go.
The bloodline on her neck disappeared, her arms suddenly stiffened, and she quickly raised them to support the sides of her head. Ariel's eyes widened, she coughed incessantly after spitting out a mouthful of blood, and began to gasp for breath.
Who says there's no such thing as resurrection? Cheng Xiangwu breathed a sigh of relief, picked up the one seeking air, and quickly left the fire.
"Cough cough—" Blood gushed from Ariyenor's mouth. She then clutched her throat, and after several attempts, her vocal cords finally returned to normal. She shouted a few words in a language that Cheng Xiangwu couldn't understand, clearly in a cursing tone. Then she grabbed her clothes and said in a hoarse voice, "That person, that person didn't come to kill Bai Guanhai. She was hired by Bai Guanhai to kill me!"
“…I see.” Cheng Xiangwu replied, sighed, and led her into the elevator.
“My head hurts so much—” Ariel shouted angrily, banging her head against Cheng Xiangwu’s shoulder. “Wu Xiang! That girl stole my things, she stole what I made! She even tried to cut my throat, blocked the door and burned me, almost killing me… You kill her for me, I beg you to kill her for me! She—”
Cheng Xiangwu, whose shoulder was a little sore from the bump, replied, "Okay, I'll help you, I'll help you..."
"...My head hurts so much," Ariel murmured, clutching her head. She suddenly sniffed, and Cheng Xiangwu looked down, only to have her chin lifted again by a slap. "Go to work—"
The main entrance was guarded by security personnel, and police officers were stationed on both the east and west sides. Not to mention the dangerous union members outside. Although many people in the hotel wanted to leave, most chose to stay in their rooms first.
If guests absolutely had to leave at this time, the best option would be to find a way to the top floor and call for an emergency helicopter, but for someone like Cheng Xiangwu, the best option would be the hotel's kitchen refrigerator.
There shouldn't be anyone in the hotel kitchen right now. The stove fire was abruptly stopped, leaving ingredients waiting to be heated in the iron pots on it. Some semi-finished products and bottles and jars with labels that no one could understand were sitting on the island.
There is someone in the cold storage room.
"It's you." Bai Yuntian's stand-in turned around and greeted her unexpectedly, then was startled by the stains on her clothes. "...What have you been doing?"
Cheng Xiangwu didn't speak, but drew his sword with his right hand.
"...What do you mean?!" Bai Yuntian's stand-in took a step back, leaning against the wall, his shoulders hunched, and he shouted with his hands in front of him, "Don't drag me into your grudges against Bai Bai! Hey, what do you want to do? Don't come any closer—"
With her left hand, Cheng Xiangwu drew her knife to block the dagger aimed at her neck. She saw that the face was still frozen in a look of terror, but her free left hand had already gathered strength to thrust out, aiming straight for the chest and abdomen of the person holding the knife.
However, Cheng Xiangwu had already severed her entire left arm. The delayed nerves still issued commands after the limb was cut off, but were powerless to stop it from falling with gravity. Cheng Xiangwu turned her head to avoid the rapidly thrusting dagger and the attacking leg whip, took a side step, and then chopped off the performer's right arm with another slash.
"Where did you put her things?" she finally asked.
“…I shouldn’t have come when I heard that guy was your target and survived.” The performer said, coughing up blood.
Clearly, this person had no intention of speaking, so Cheng Xiang brandished her knife, preparing to end her life.
"Don't look at my face." That was the only thing the performer said in his last words.
After searching around, Cheng Xiangwu found the box where the coffin had originally been. She also found a large kitchen garbage bag and put the performer's body inside. She didn't bother to look at the face; after all, she wasn't interested in corpses. Carrying the box in one hand and dragging the garbage bag in the other, she left the storage room, took the bucket of oil back, set the room on fire to treat the blood, and continued down the elevator with her belongings. She threw the garbage bag into the still-burning laboratory, closing the door behind her before leaving.
After disposing of the body, she carried the box to the second-floor restaurant and found Ariel in the kitchen area. Thinking of that person's gloomy face that could be used as a rag, Cheng Xiangwu went to the banquet hall, grabbed a piece of white cloth and draped it over herself. She then took out the mask, held it up from under the white cloth to cover her face, and silently slipped into the restaurant and then drifted into the kitchen area.
She heard footsteps, turned sharply, stopped, and took a step back.
“…Five-spice?” Ariyenor asked hesitantly.
Cheng Xiangwu removed the mask from under the white cloth, revealing her face. *Clang clang—*
The space was quiet for a moment. Ariyenor crossed her arms and squinted at her, clearly not finding the little trick funny. Cheng Xiangwu could only silently gather the white cloth aside, hand over the box, and the other party took it.
“I will pay you the commission fee as agreed.” She placed the box on the kitchen island, next to the garbage bag and the square-headed iron fork that Cheng Xiangwu had brought back to her earlier.
"No need." Cheng Xiangwu said as she walked towards the buffet counter, waving her hand with her back to her. "You were almost killed by her. I'll help you get revenge. I would have done it even if you hadn't asked me to."
There was no response from the other party. Cheng Xiangwu looked at the cherry tomatoes on the bar counter, picked one up, and popped it into her mouth to chew. Beneath the crisp skin was plenty of flesh, and a fishy tomato smell filled her nostrils. In short, it had no taste. She turned around and tasted the other flavors on the counter—sweet, sour, bitter, spicy, salty, and umami—nothing at all. The tomato she was talking about turned into a lifeless lump of meat again.
"Ahem." A throat-clearing sound came from the open kitchen, drawing attention. Cheng Xiangwu looked over as she wished. Ariyenor stood in front of the pastry window like a real chef, bringing out a plate with a cup of wax on it. Cheng Xiangwu walked over and looked down. Next to the plate, another set of cutlery was handed out—an ordinary lighter.
"...This is..." Cheng Xiangwu picked up the lighter, looked at Ariyenor, and asked softly, "Is this for me?"
"Try it first." She took two steps back and gestured with her hand.
Under the watchful eyes of the two, Cheng Xiangwu skillfully pressed the switch on the lighter. The restaurant was quite quiet, and the click wasn't very loud, but her heart suddenly skipped a beat.
The firelight blazed, calm and melodious, mingling with the aroma of food from the restaurant, making those illuminated by its light feel as if they were truly dining.
The contents of the glass were quickly emptied. Cheng Xiangwu looked up, and Ariyenor, without saying a word, pointed to the buffet bar outside.
The two sat facing each other, each with a plate of food in front of them, containing all kinds of flavors. As usual, Ariel served tea, which Cheng Xiangwu accepted and thanked. Then she picked up the chopsticks on the table and began to eat, accompanied by the sound of rain outside the window.
Rain was falling outside the window. The chaos in the hotel's plaza had subsided not long ago. The rain streaks obscured the details, but made the flashing red and blue police lights even more prominent. The golden whale sculpture's tail had broken off and fallen into the water, yet the fountain continued to flow. Just a window away, the restaurant was quiet; even the usual background music was absent, with only the clinking of cutlery in the two people's hands.
"How is it?" Arieno asked, looking up from her plate.
“…It’s delicious.” Cheng Xiangwu said, looking at the food on the plate and savoring the various flavors. Unlike the excitement she felt when eating pineapple cakes earlier, she felt very calm inside. She took a sip of tea, looked up and asked, “Why do you like drinking tea? It’s clearly bitter.”
“Everyone who drinks tea only enjoys the aroma of the tea leaves.” Arienne laughed. “Welcome back to the cage of reality. Now you’ll have to suffer with us, Five Spices.”
“…I see.” Cheng Xiangwu nodded and said solemnly, “Thank you.”
“…You’re welcome,” Arienne replied, then asked, “So now, I don’t need to consider the assumption that ‘you’re actually angry,’ right?”
Cheng Xiangwu laughed.
Before leaving the restaurant, Cheng Xiangwu glanced into the kitchen. She paused, walked to the stove, lit the fire, heated the oil in the wok, randomly picked some leafy greens from the preparation area, and poured them into the wok while it was still smoking. Ariyenor stood outside watching the wok sizzle and pop, watching the oil splatter everywhere, watching the cook sweat and take three steps back to avoid the stove. Finally, when the plate of dark, unidentified food was served, she picked up her chopsticks, picked out a carrot shred that was barely recognizable, put it in her mouth, chewed, and swallowed.
"Zero points." She gave a very low rating indifferently.
Upon hearing this, Cheng Xiang straightened her clothes, turned and left the kitchen, deciding never to be a cook again.
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