Chapter 118, Countdown 3
Six hours before the celebration successfully concluded—
The night was still early.
The grand platform of Changletian was erected high, with layers of red silk and ribbons hanging along its edges, swaying in the wind like flames dancing in the air. Strings of colorful lights hung from the eaves, shimmering with golden, orange-red, and emerald-green light, reflecting on the excited faces of the people.
On both sides of the street, tall lampposts are decorated in the shape of lotus flowers, with gold paper-cuts and brocade for blessings pasted on them. When a breeze blows, they sway gently and make a low rustling sound.
Various paper kites and colorful balls hang in the air, like floating toys, giving people a dreamlike illusion.
The entire street seemed to be ablaze with color, a tapestry of red, gold, and orange, with colorful flags fluttering, paper lanterns swaying, and the air filled with the aroma of baked pastries and candies.
Surrounded by the colors and light, the crowd cheered and laughed, as if the whole world was immersed in the joy and warmth of the celebration.
In stark contrast to the lively and peaceful atmosphere, Chen Mi was now hidden in the dark streets, following behind her contact, taking the pre-arranged route straight to the enemy's lair.
With the Luofu defense map provided by Bai Xuan, Huanlong had already set up weaknesses in various places, waiting only for the right time to put the aesthetics of "destruction" into practice.
The hustle and bustle of the street corner was kept at a distant end; the celebratory drums and music came through layers of walls, becoming muffled and hollow. A fleeting glimpse of light and shadow crossed her face; the warmth of the lamplight could no longer reach her.
The contact ahead walked with steady, quick steps, the hem of his clothes swaying gently in the dim light. Shen Mi dared not make a sound, and could only follow that figure through one deserted alley after another.
Her heartbeat intertwined with the distant drumbeats, creating an eerie melody.
The contact remained silent the entire way, navigating numerous checkpoints until they finally brought her to her destination: a dilapidated courtyard nestled deep beneath Changletian.
He showed his handprint, which bore a special mark, signaling the guards to let him through. The Destruction Void Soldier, disguised as an ordinary citizen of the Immortal Ship, pushed open the gate.
Shen Mi didn't dare blink. As the door was pushed open, her breath almost stopped. It was a group of monsters she had only seen in the game interface—centaur-shaped, with greenish-blue skin, and extremely tall.
She had to tilt her head back to see the other person's face clearly.
They shed their disguises, revealing their true forms completely in the dilapidated courtyard as if they didn't care at all.
Shen Mi roughly counted, and there were about twenty people.
The soldier's eyes gleamed with a faint, cold light as he looked down at her, then turned to his contact and whispered a few words. His voice was low and broken, like stones rubbing against his throat.
Shen Mi couldn't understand it, but she felt that every syllable carried a threatening meaning. She frantically reached out and turned on the synesthetic beacon, trying to capture those fragmented semantic pieces.
The next moment, the chaotic conversation suddenly became clear.
"Why did you send a new person? Where is the one who was supposed to be working with us before?"
The voice was deep and rough, tinged with doubt. Shen Mi immediately felt a cold gaze sweep over her from head to toe. She subconsciously straightened her body, but her fingertips involuntarily clenched the hem of her clothes, as if she were trying hard to maintain her composure.
The contact explained that the person had been relocated to another location, and because it happened so suddenly, they hadn't been able to explain it in time.
The monster sized her up for a long time, its metallic jawline gleaming coldly in the dim light: "Even in armor, you're pitifully small. Are you sure you haven't brought the wrong person?"
The contact glossed over the question: "Don't let her weak appearance fool you, she's incredibly clever. She used to do odd jobs at the Shence Prefecture, so she knows exactly where to strike on the Immortal Ship for maximum impact!"
The monster's narrow eyelids contracted slightly, as if assessing the truth. The air in this atmosphere seemed ready to freeze and shatter in a matter of seconds.
Shen Mi felt her heart pounding in her throat, and her throat tightening little by little.
Finally, the monster let out a low hum, seemingly having weighed the pros and cons, and agreed with the contact's statement.
“Alright, then let her stay.” It withdrew its gaze, its tone cold and tinged with a sinister smile. “Tell your boss—we will give him the ending he desires.”
The air began to flow again, and thunderous drumming filled his ears. For a moment, Shen Mi thought it was Chang Letian's performance, but when he saw that no one around him was reacting, he realized that the drumming was coming from his chest.
With her doubts temporarily dispelled, Shen Mi smiled almost imperceptibly. Facing the unknown danger, she was more joyful than before.
If she can complete the task successfully, the branches of fate will be rejoined. The things she fears and dreads will not happen.
The contact was still talking to the spur.
Before coming, he specifically instructed her: once she got in, don't make any unnecessary movements, just find the explosive device they hid in Luofu. This kind of crucial device is usually guarded by someone before detonation, just in case.
On the surface, the two appear to be cooperating, but in reality, they distrust each other: Bai Xuan's defense layout map seems complete, but four out of ten bomb sites are not critical. The antimatter legion appears to be responsible for logistical support, but they are still keeping the contents of those supplies a secret. They seem to be working together from within to destroy Luo Fu, the mainstay of the Immortal Ship Alliance.
You can't see into someone's heart, especially when your partner isn't even human; no one knows if they might betray you at the last minute. To be on the safe side, they devised a win-win solution—each getting what they needed while keeping each other in check.
However, no matter how Shen Mi looked at it, she felt that this relationship of mutual suspicion did not seem like it could succeed.
However, they had already identified nine locations for the placement of the explosives, and no matter how they tried to probe, the antimatter legion refused to reveal the location of the remaining one.
Shen Mi's mission on this trip is to find the tenth one.
Strangely enough, Shen Mi always felt that this so-called turning point in fate was really that simple.
Why does she always feel something's off?
But the die is cast, so we can only trust that the information Bai Xuan and the others have is correct.
There's no time left for her to find other possibilities.
Shen Mi stepped into the courtyard, wearing the watch Jing Yuan had given her, watching the hands slowly circle the dial. Time passed little by little.
She was getting impatient. Why hadn't they made any move yet? The surroundings were quiet, and Shen Mi could even hear familiar music coming from the stage that Chang Letian had set up.
Listening to the faint melody, Shen Mi sighed in admiration at Huanlong's "professional ethics," for even at this point, he still pretended to be Tingyun and finished the show.
Suddenly, the twenty-odd illusory soldiers in the courtyard stood up. As if sensing some kind of call, they faced the courtyard, where a strange liquid-filled container, hidden by a door, seemed to receive a signal and emitted a green light. The illusory soldiers raised their heads and mumbled some kind of command.
The synesthetic beacon behind my ear was suddenly interfered with, emitting a piercing noise, and then its function returned to normal.
"The 'Antimatter Legion,' born to incinerate destiny."
Suddenly, everything went white. Before Shen Mi could react, a wave of heat, carrying dust, rolled out from the door, engulfing her in warm liquid and mangled limbs.
*
Huanlong sat backstage, carefully checking her look in the mirror. She patiently smoothed a few stray strands of hair that were slightly curled at her temples, her fingertips moving gently and calmly, as if it were just ordinary pre-stage preparation. She gently straightened the flower that was already crooked, and reflected in the mirror, her smile was gentle and charming, as if nothing had happened.
If one were unaware, no one would realize that what she was about to witness was a "performance" capable of destroying Luofu.
Huanlong pursed her lips and calmly applied the last touch of lipstick. The host on stage was reading out the words "Tingyun," and the lights shone softly on her through the curtain. She slowly rose and walked gracefully towards the stage.
As the music began, a melodious tune unfolded. She danced to the beat, her clothes fluttering, like a flower blooming amidst the light and shadow.
The audience applauded enthusiastically, captivated by her dance and smile. A slight smile played on Huanlong's lips, a strange joy welling up within her—
Oh dear, don't rush, the real climax is yet to come.
The dance music gradually approached its most intense section, the melody soaring and the drumbeats rapid. In the instant that Huanhuan twirled lightly, her dress billowing, a deafening roar echoed from the depths of the earth.
The roar and the music exploded almost simultaneously—
The ground cracked, flames scattered, and screams mixed with music tore through the air.
Huanlong continued to dance, her skirt billowing in the blast, flames illuminating her smiling face—at that moment, her dance merged with destruction, as if fate itself had orchestrated the grand finale.
Huanlong shed her disguise, her robes fluttering, and a green flame hovered high in the sky. Beneath her feet lay Luofu, engulfed in flames, chaos and wailing swirling amidst the smoke and dust.
She looked down at the huge hole torn open by the explosion, her brow furrowing slightly. The firelight reflected in her eyes, but it revealed not a trace of pleasure.
--that's all?
Did they really succeed so easily?
The smile on her lips gradually faded, leaving only a faint sigh.
"This is really... kind of boring."
One lamp, then two—the lights of Luofu went out one after another in the wind. The sky darkened, and the night pressed down like ink, swallowing the embers and the crimson hue.
Huanlong floated in the air, her words tinged with regret as she spoke from within the flames.
"What a pity, I thought this game of disguise could go on for a hundred years."
However, before she could finish her thought, her figure suddenly stopped in mid-air—
The world seems to have had its rewind button pressed by someone.
The cracks in the sky quickly healed, the flames rebounded, the collapsed buildings returned to their original positions, and the cries were swallowed up by time.
Even Huanlong returned backstage as if she had no idea, and sat upright in front of the makeup mirror. She raised her hand to tidy up the few stray strands of hair that were slightly curled at her temples.
at the same time--
Shen Mi suddenly opened his eyes.
She looked at the twenty-odd dummy soldiers sitting before her, her heart still pounding wildly. She reached up and touched her hands and feet; her fingertips were still trembling slightly.
"Thank goodness... thank goodness, they're all back."
She murmured softly, the tearing pain in her body subsiding slightly. But the ripples in her consciousness caused by the explosion still gave her a splitting headache.
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Author's Note: My dear family, my dear family, it's really coming to an end! Expected to be two or three chapters. [Crying][Crying][Crying] I'll miss you all so much! [Crying][Crying][Crying]
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