Chapter 109 Perfection Through Refinement (8)
Since that's the case, asking him for information is useless. From the beginning, the role she played and 03 were not necessarily true partners and "teammates".
Shu Ningmiao turned her back to him, adjusted the elevator buttons, and didn't continue talking about the issue.
Shu Changyan reminded her, "The seventh floor is the central layer."
She pressed the button for the seventh floor, watched the elevator restart, and said leisurely, "Then why are you wearing a mask?"
With Zhao's conspicuous precedent as an example, she didn't believe the executor had any ulterior motives.
Shu Changyan gently pressed down on the mask on his face with his fingertips, then lightly placed his hand on the hilt of his sword: "Have you heard of the Church of Praise?"
Shu Ningmiao paused for a few seconds before cautiously replying, "What's wrong?"
“My parents taught me from a young age that all things in the world are of the same kind, possessing similar souls. Evil is like a living spirit, and avoiding direct eye contact with others helps to lessen one’s evil deeds.” Shu Changyan’s eyes were clear, like a calm lake, with a faint smile: “If you feel afraid, you can do that too.”
“I’m not afraid,” Shu Ningmiao said decisively, turning her head to the side and narrowing her eyes. “And I don’t need this kind of placebo.”
“You are afraid of death.” Shu Changyan shifted his gaze elsewhere, his expression unchanged: “...the weapon in his hand then slowed down. Hesitation can occur in many situations, but it should not occur here.”
Shu Ningmiao had her back to him, so his expression was not visible; only her straight back under her coat was gently rising and falling.
“This isn’t hesitation.” She stood there quietly with her arms crossed, and after a long, long time, she finally said, “It’s thinking.”
She stared at the numbers flashing on the elevator screen, knowing that everything around her was just a series of interconnected data. Because of this, she spoke without any psychological burden.
When she gained the right to wield the knife, she remained unmoved by the lives she had taken. She always believed that survival of the fittest was the only thing that mattered, so the world she could see was only the small area in front of her.
“If we don’t think about what I’m doing,” Shu Ningmiao turned her head, a sliver of light forming under her eyelashes, “our understanding of life will only become uncontrollably shallow.”
“I should say—” She took a step back and met his gaze: “What made you not hesitate?”
Could it be an honor?
"Loyalty, hope, sacrifice, justice, responsibility, compassion, and temperance are the public virtues that everyone should possess." Shu Changyan did not hesitate much, leaned slightly forward, and put the sword back behind his back: "The fate of the country is my fate, and it is also her fate. As long as it is to protect something more important, I can endure it all."
He said calmly, "Once you start thinking about meaning, killing loses its meaning."
"You seem quite certain." Shu Ningmiao fell silent for a long while, clearly knowing the truth, yet still asked, "Who is she?"
"My sister." The elevator doors opened automatically, and Shu Changyan brushed past her.
Shu Ningmiao followed him out of the elevator: "What if the next mission is for you to kill her?"
Shu Changyan pointed at her with the hilt of his sword, then lightly touched her lips, signaling her to shut up.
Shu Ningmiao stared at the sword hilt that flashed by in front of her and saw a familiar pearl embedded in the slightly concave mark at the top of the hilt.
He quickly withdrew his hand. Meanwhile, Shu Ningmiao had already heard footsteps coming from afar. No longer dwelling on such a trivial matter, she reached out and pushed Shu Changyan into the corridor, raising her index finger to signal him to be quiet.
"Don't speak."
Judging from the airflow created by the footsteps, the person who came was deliberately controlling their breath and must have been trained; they were not an ordinary researcher.
In the distance, you could still hear some conversations drifting by, sounds like "invasion" and "startup," but they were indistinct and unclear.
Shu Ningmiao pushed Shu Changyan a little further in, signaling him with her eyes not to move, as she wanted to hear what kind of place this was.
When there was no conflict, Shu Changyan always seemed very easy to talk to. He didn't make a sound when she pushed him in, and leaned against the wall without moving, so that she could quiet down and listen carefully.
They went around to the platform behind the stacked boxes in the corridor. Shu Ningmiao saw a tall figure in the distance. The figure looked extremely familiar, and it was so eerie that it was like a ghost in broad daylight.
Two men strode out. One was a middle-aged man with a slightly dark complexion, and the other was someone she recognized. He had well-defined muscles and a tall, imposing figure, like a rock-solid wall. He was clearly Yelü Qi.
She hadn't seen her former teacher's face for a long time since witnessing his death at the research center.
The combat simulation system was so realistic that at first glance it was indistinguishable from a living person, and her heart skipped a beat for no reason.
But how did Yelüqi end up here?
She squinted and turned to look at Shu Changyan, only to see an indifferent expression on his face.
Yelü Qi was once in charge of teaching novice practitioners, a fact that Shu Changyan had also mentioned to her.
He should know Yelüqi, so why is he not surprised at all to see someone who shouldn't be here?
Yelü Qi spoke to the man beside him, his voice as steady and powerful as ever: "Is there really no other way?"
The man standing next to him had a straight spine and stood upright. His complexion was slightly darker than normal, and his face was rough and cracked from sunburn, unlike that of an average person.
What Shu Ningmiao noticed was the heavy sword on the man's back, which was half a person's height. It had straight double blades and no tip, making it look more like an executioner's knife than a sword.
She recognized the sword.
...The sword that nearly killed Achini in the explosion at the Pigne overpass was used by the charioteer.
“If there really were a way to cure Manla disease, Mr. Lanxi wouldn’t have been working himself to death. Even after he disappeared for a century, the base is still able to operate today, all thanks to the church’s occasional financial support.” The man’s eyes were sharp, but his voice was gentle: “To this day, we are still seeking salvation, but the truth is, God has forgotten us, and we can’t find a way out.”
He crossed his arms and placed them together in front of his chest, his thumbs and little fingers touching, and looked into the distance: "Take your daughter's body away as soon as possible. The people of Pigne have arrived. Don't get involved with traitors like us anymore."
Yelü Qi paused for a moment, then stopped, placed his hand on his chest, and bowed: "No matter what, I will always remember you as my superior and my colleague, and that will not change for anything."
"Don't remember me." The man closed his eyes. "Remember reality."
Shu Ningmiao was listening intently when Shu Changyan patted her on the shoulder from behind.
She couldn't help but frown as she watched him look down at the fan vent above his head, where the internal device had been removed by him at some point.
He lowered his head and gestured for her to step onto the cargo box and go in, his lips moving silently: "The pipes lead to the rooms inside."
"Excuse me," Shu Ningmiao said politely, lowering her voice, "could you wait until I finish listening before you speak?"
“They’ve finished talking and are heading this way.” The overhead light was dim, and she saw a hint of a smile in Shu Changyan’s eyes, or perhaps it was just her imagination: “Go ahead, I’ll buy you some time.”
Shu Ningmiao frowned. After learning the identity of the person who came, she never thought she could get away with it without anyone noticing. With the operative's keen hearing, she would definitely have to face him head-on.
At this time, Yelü Qi was not yet ill; he was about to face the Envoy at his peak.
...Never mind, winning or losing is just a fleeting image anyway.
More intriguing to her than her encounter with Yelü Qi was the traces Lan Xi had left behind; it was the first time she had ever heard this mysterious name from someone else.
The original implementers, as expected, did not simply disappear from this world.
After weighing the two options, she made a decision. She stopped arguing with Shu Changyan, nimbly set off, and quietly climbed into the pipe. She heard the two footsteps approaching from afar, and the surroundings grew heavier, as if the air itself was gradually freezing.
She was certain the two men could hear the rattling sound of her footsteps on the pipe floor, but they didn't seem to care about her, a passing "minion," and didn't even look up.
Shu Ningmiao's attention was no longer on them; she bent down and slid down the pipe.
The two walked to the narrow corridor where they were hiding. Yelü Qi stopped half a meter away, his gaze serious, having already sensed something was amiss: "Come out."
Shu Changyan's figure gradually emerged from the dim shadows, his strong presence abruptly shattering the quiet atmosphere.
He slowly drew his sword, the long blade reflecting his handsome face, his calm expression revealing a dangerous aura that seemed to have a decisive advantage.
"It really was you." Yelü Qi couldn't help but click his tongue, a slightly uncomfortable feeling rising within him. Pine really was incompetent; of all the people in the military, it was Shu Changyan who completed this task.
Ordering students to personally cut off the head of their mentor who had promoted them is a cruel test of obedience. Shu Changyan happens to be a terrifying person who would not hesitate to take action, just like his teacher.
He hadn't intended to persuade anyone here, but he couldn't help but add, "You really are willing to do anything."
Shu Changyan spun the blade, its cold light pointing at Yelü Qi's throat, then slightly loosened his grip and turned it away: "I can pretend I've never seen you."
Hey, this kid's pretty quick-witted; he acts like nothing's going on outside of his mission.
Yelü Qi smiled and was about to speak when the man beside him raised his hand to stop him.
The man's expression was stern: "Go, leave this place. This is over. You need to face reality."
"...To live a life of ignominy, huh?"
Yelü Qi's raised lips froze, the smile fading and even turning somewhat bitter.
After a long silence, he shook his head, said no more, walked past the boy, and gave a wry smile: "Kid, I owe you a favor."
He didn't know if he would live long enough to repay this favor, nor did he know what to do after burying his daughter, but faced with reality, he couldn't just die now.
Perhaps his muddled life and bizarre experiences will provide answers for others someday.
Shu Changyan did not reply.
Footsteps echoed, and gradually only the two of them remained in the corridor. Even their breathing was barely audible, and the place was deathly silent.
The silver light of the sword was reflected in Shu Changyan's eyes as it slowly glided across the surface with the movement of his hand.
The mission assist instrument hanging by his ear scanned in the direction of his pupils, emitting a mechanical notification sound.
"Please actively select the mission target. The mission target is being scanned and confirmed. Facial recognition, iris recognition, voiceprint recognition, and vein recognition are in progress. The mission target, former military minister Sun Yucheng, has been confirmed. Please complete the mission as soon as possible."
He raised his hand and lightly touched his forehead to mute the mission assistant.
The man pondered for a moment: "It's really... astonishing. You and your parents have nothing in common. They were rich in Pandora and powerful in their abilities, but they especially hated blood and pain—I think that's probably the biggest reason they broke with Pinne, isn't it? And you've returned here after so many years, yet you've chosen to associate with what they betrayed."
He spoke with unwavering composure, his eyes gleaming with an almost melancholic authority: "The first time I saw you in the reserves, I recognized whose child you were. Only their children would possess such bearing. Back then, you aspired to achieve great things, and now that you have, will you remain the same?"
"Thank you for your guidance." Shu Changyan lowered his eyelashes, letting him scrutinize him, but did not answer him in the same way: "You, who have lived peacefully with violence for so many years, why have you followed their old path?"
A man who holds a high position and has been entrenched in power for many years can suddenly undergo a drastic change in temperament, and no one knows what he is thinking.
Shu Changyan found it absurd and laughable, and his heart remained calm without the slightest ripple.
The man was not angry, but smiled with relief: "People turn to the gods because they want to get what is impossible to get. You are still young, everything is simple, fame and fortune are within reach with hard work. One day you will understand that the world does not revolve around you. You will understand one day... for the inevitable end of death, for a life that cannot be taken back."
As the man's relieved smile faded, his pupils gradually darkened. The blades of their swords crossed each other, almost touching face to face, yet they couldn't reflect a single glimmer of light in his eyes.
He drew the double-edged sword from his back, its tip hanging heavily on the ground.
“I’m tired of hearing this kind of argument.” Shu Changyan held the sword tip still, slowly drawing it horizontally. His clear blue eyes were calm as still water, but a hint of weariness was visible. “When I was eight, I broke off a branch from a tree and pierced the joints of my peers. The reward was a 10C coin, worn smooth from being rubbed. My mother and father sighed that it was a mark of sin, but it could buy clean water, a full stomach of bread, and things that made her happy. Prayer is a long euthanasia. I was born in a church, opened my eyes under the lamp oil, and left the new land with ninety coins, vowing never to live a life of emptiness, pain, or numbness because of anything.”
The sound of something cutting through the air was accompanied by a gust of wind, sharp and piercing. Shu Changyan gripped the hilt of his sword and slashed at an angle. The blade was thin and light, like a hidden sliver of silver light.
With a clang, the swords clashed, emitting a sharp howl. The boy's figure flew past the sword, his clothes fluttering and being blown over by the strong wind.
The heavy greatsword and the thin longsword met, unleashing an unimaginable force. The invisible pressure instantly destroyed the surrounding cargo crates, and the bottles and jars of liquid inside shattered into pieces on the ground.
Shu Changyan gently withdrew his hand, skillfully deflecting the giant sword from the man's hand with a barely audible thud; the outcome was sealed.
The man's lips twitched twice, and a cool sensation that instantly cleared his mind rose in his chest, followed by an even hotter temperature.
He slammed his knees down, kneeling stiffly on the ground, his short hair soaked with sweat, and blood slowly seeping from the lines of his clothes onto his chest.
After a long while, he leaned back with difficulty, his head hitting the wall behind him. His hands loosened, and the sword fell to the ground. His eyes moved, and a glimmer of light returned: "Pick it up... pick it up!"
Shu Changyan bent down and gripped the sword hilt.
"The executioner's sword has hung over the United Building for a century. I took it with me when I left Parliament. It is not a weapon suitable for killing. Originally, it was placed in the beam to remind everyone not to forget the justice and protection that should be given."
The man spoke haltingly.
"As your former teacher, I implore you to wear it again, so that the world may see the oath on the blade once more... even if it is not a good weapon."
He nodded slightly.
"Now," he said after a long pause, "use your sword to end my story."
The longsword, gleaming with a cold light, slowly pierced the man's chest, penetrating his flesh and drawing out streams of blood. He remained kneeling, his face turned upwards as if in repentance, when suddenly he vomited a pool of blood, his turbid eyes staring straight at the boy.
"I see it, fate... will not forgive you either."
A thin line of bright red blood trickled down the corner of his mouth, and his eyes gradually went blank.
The echo of the word "forgiveness" lingered lightly in the corridor.
"I do not seek anyone's forgiveness."
The boy closed his eyes, lowered his head, and rested his brow against the hilt of the sword, feeling the warmth of the pearl inlaid at the top of the hilt: "...I have my own god."
——
Shu Ningmiao followed her rich experience and crept into the room. The central room was in a mess. She didn't see anyone. They had probably all escaped. The things in the room were knocked over and were covering the control panel.
Pushing aside the things that were lying together, Shu Ningmiao bent down and, facing the mess on the table, picked up a photograph first.
The image above shows a baby-faced, white-haired boy in a white lab coat buttoned up, making a peace sign at the camera.
She still remembers it vividly.
This photo is exactly the same as the one Edwina kept. The white-haired, baby-faced boy in the photo is "Lanxi," who once established the National Research Center. After a mutual friend died of illness, he entrusted that important folder to Edwina and then disappeared without a trace.
She turned the photos over; Edwina's photo had a message written by Edwina herself, while this photo only had a scribbled sentence on the back.
"I miss the things I haven't lost yet."
Could the person who left this message be Lanxi himself?
This base is one of the legacies left by Lanxi back then. So who is the middle-aged man she just bumped into in the corridor who has taken over the operation of this base again? Judging from their conversation, this person seems to be a defector.
Shu Ningmiao was distracted and kept having new doubts.
The data in the combat simulation is from past mission recordings. Since the Yeluqi had already been discovered, how come it was still alive and well and went to live out its days in Cornunos? The Pigne government was not so lenient.
She flipped through a stack of biochemical test reports with a rustling sound, then slapped a half-sheet of paper tucked inside onto the table, where traces of file binding were still faintly visible.
The photo on the folded piece of paper showed a man in uniform with a dignified expression. It was the middle-aged man she had just seen walking with Yelüqi in the corridor. Next to him was his name and title, stained with bright red destruction ink.
Sun Yucheng, the Minister of the Army, is a very important figure. How could someone like him convert to the Yangsong Church? Did he repent because of his faith, or did he convert because of his repentance?
Only a few years have passed since then, and all she knows is the current Minister of the Army, Kovina; she has no recollection of this name.
This person has been completely erased from reality, just like she died in the first playthrough.
Such a brief file was torn into pieces, leaving nothing but a name. After tonight, even this last trace will probably be gone.
Shu Ningmiao let go, allowing the piece of paper to fall to the ground.
The moment she saw the name of Sun Yucheng, the Minister of the Military Department, the panel in front of her automatically displayed that the task was completed.
How could it be so simple?
She initially thought this mission would require taking away some kind of secret research core from the base, but upon closer reflection, if that were the case, they wouldn't have let Shu Changyan directly target all the researchers in the laboratory.
Shu Ningmiao placed her hands on the table, initially deep in thought, but suddenly realized something and abruptly froze.
No, on the surface she plays the role of the executor and 03 is the assistant, but in reality Shu Changyan can act on her own. So what is her role?
Her task... was merely a safety net—to verify the target's correctness.
Shu Ningmiao closed her eyes and heard a faint "beep" sound around her.
She quickly swept aside the pile of papers on the control table and found the screen below glowing, displaying a countdown of 258 seconds. The time was still decreasing, and a shocking title was superimposed on the red warning message.
Offensive self-defense procedures are initiating.
Plutonium loading is 100% complete.
Started.
...This is terrible.
Even if this isn't reality, she doesn't want to experience being blown away, and—
In that instant, she braced her elbow on the table, used the momentum to turn her entire body, flipped over and jumped up, drew her training sword from behind her back, and held it above her head.
With a clang, the heavy sword struck the blade from above, instantly curling the edge of the blade.
"[Rage] state activated, power doubled!"
Shu Ning's supernatural abilities activated instantly. She raised her knife to block the sword in front of her, and a thin bloodstain appeared on her palm and the web of her hand: "Is this how you treat your partner?"
She guessed most of it, but she didn't guess that she was also going to be silenced.
The long sword in Shu Changyan's hand had a drop of bright red blood on its blade. His handsome but cold face was expressionless. His movements were devoid of any fancy moves. With a series of soft sounds, he slashed and hacked, each move so fierce that it could kill.
Shu Ningmiao glided over like a fish, meeting his attack head-on. Her eyebrows rose, sparks flew from the point where their swords clashed, and her fighting spirit ignited with joy.
The whistle that could instantly exit this world hung around her neck; blowing it would end the cycle, but she had no intention of picking it up.
When Shu Changyan's sword slashed down, she felt as if she were facing Yeluqi for the first time at school. Today was different from the past; after a long period of training, her strength had improved.
She no longer felt that the wielder was invincible or unattainable.
Shu Ningmiao drew her sword with one hand, blocking it. Her wrist was gradually pressed down, and just as she was about to give way, she used her other hand to flick out a golden chain, deflecting his sword strike in time: "Why don't you use your special ability?"
Is it contempt?
Even if it wasn't real, she still wanted to try sparring with him, since winning or losing wouldn't hurt her.
Shu Changyan's features were deep and his gaze was intense: "No need."
It was as if it were announcing the end.
The sword struck the gaping hole precisely, and with a clang, the blade was severed in two.
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