Chapter Forty-Nine: The Colors Are Ugly
The abandoned St. Jerome Church in East London. Time seems to stand still here, or perhaps it's being eroded at an accelerated pace.
The stained glass has long since shattered, leaving only empty stone frames, like the eye sockets of a skull, gazing at the leaden sky, which seems poised to weep at any moment.
Wild grass grows rampant among the broken walls and ruins, devouring the former solemnity. The air is filled with the dampness of stones, the decay of wood, and the desolate atmosphere of a land without a master.
Xiya leaned against a mottled stone pillar, his figure almost blending into the deep shadow cast by the wall.
He was dressed in dark clothes that allowed for easy movement, covered in dust and grime picked up during his infiltration. His once fiery red hair had lost its unruly shine, sticking to his forehead with sweat and dirt.
He was breathing slightly heavily. The intense investigation that had lasted for several days without sleep, as well as the several close encounters with the BXX guards, had almost exhausted his strength. But his eyes—those blood-red eyes that had once been consumed by grief and destructive desires—were now burning with an unusual, almost calm light.
It was a resolute light that shone through when the goal was found.
His right hand was pressed tightly against the inside pocket of his breast pocket. Through the rough fabric, he could feel the outline of a hard object—a small, flat box made of a special alloy, containing a roll of microfilm.
This was the "key evidence" he obtained at great cost from the depths of the BXX files—a top-secret safe marked "Di'an Kui" that required a special key provided by Lian Yeyi to open.
He had already quickly browsed the contents of the film reel on a makeshift reader he had found.
Although it was just a fragment, the cold words, the blurry yet impactful photos, especially the one of a young girl lying in a hospital bed with vacant eyes, vaguely overlapped with a distant expression that Xu Yue occasionally revealed in his memory. There was also the deliberately concealed copy of the official record about a car accident and its aftermath "handling"... All of these were like red-hot irons, burning his heart and confirming his worst suspicions.
Xu Yue, his Xu Yue, the "Silver Hair" he regarded as his only refuge and light... was truly the "Di An Kui" who was abandoned by his own parents and that huge dark family like a piece of flawed trash.
It's not because of flaws, but because... they're afraid of trouble? Afraid of exposure? Afraid of affecting their so-called "purity" and "safety"?
A surge of emotion, a mixture of overwhelming rage and profound compassion, welled up in his chest, threatening to burst through his throat. But he forced it back down.
Now is not the time for anger, nor for sorrow. He must bring this evidence back safely and deliver it to Xu Yue personally.
This is not only a weapon of revenge, but also... perhaps a key that can help her truly understand her roots and thus find some kind of relief from the trauma of being abandoned... even though the key itself is also coated with deadly poison.
He checked once more to make sure the box in his arms was intact. This was something he had risked his life for, and even more so, the lives of Zhong Si, Yanni… it seemed that the sacrifice of everyone important in his life had earned him this ticket to the truth. He couldn't afford any mishap.
The appointed time was fast approaching. He was being met by the Ram's most trusted and personally selected team; they would escort him safely back to headquarters. Just a little longer… just a little longer to hand over the evidence…
He leaned against the cold stone pillar, slowly adjusting his breathing, trying to relax his overly tense nerves.
The church ruins were eerily quiet, save for the whistling of the wind through the broken window openings and the faint, indistinct sounds of the city from the distant streets, sounds that seemed to belong to another world.
This excessive silence was unsettling. As a top-notch hunter, Sia instinctively sensed something was amiss. It was too quiet; even the birds that usually roosted here seemed to have fallen silent.
Images flashed uncontrollably through his mind: the expression Xu Yue might show when she saw him bring back the evidence—shock? Pain? Or… utter coldness? He would rather she cry, he would rather she be angry, than see her bury all her emotions deep under that steel mask again.
He also thought of Zhong Si, the boy he clumsily protected, who ultimately died because of him. If Zhong Si were still alive, would he feel a sliver of relief for his successful adventure? No, the boy would probably only look at him with those clear yet sorrowful eyes and say, "Brother Xia, don't risk your life for others anymore..."
Thinking of this, Xi Ya felt a sharp pain in his heart. He shook his head, trying to dispel these weak thoughts. He could not regret it, nor could he back down. He had chosen this path himself, for Xu Yue, to give an explanation to the deceased Zhong Si and Yani, and also to... completely sever the so-called "blood ties" that regarded him as a "flaw" and a "hidden danger."
He gripped the gun handle hidden beneath his clothes. The cold metallic touch offered him a slight sense of security. He was like a trapped beast lurking in the shadows, wounded yet still sharpening its fangs, waiting for backup while remaining vigilant against any potential danger.
In the deadly silence of the wait, a very faint sound of footsteps, almost drowned out by the wind, came from behind the broken wall not far away. It was not the steady footsteps of the rendezvous personnel, nor the stealthy movements of the enemy, but a light footstep that carried hesitation and a certain resolute determination.
Xiya's muscles tensed instantly. She drew her gun with lightning speed, turned around, and pointed the muzzle precisely at the source of the sound, her red eyes revealing murderous intent.
However, when the figure emerged from behind the broken archway, his finger on the trigger suddenly froze, and his pupils contracted sharply.
It is the universe.
She wore a dark gray hooded cloak that allowed for easy movement; the hood had slipped down, revealing a face that always carried an air of detached calm, but which at this moment was filled with deep worry.
Her unusual hair, a blend of hazy blue and the glow of the sunset, appeared somewhat dull under the gloomy sky, but her eyes, which seemed to see through emotions, shone with an astonishing brightness, gazing directly into Xiya's eyes.
"How did you get here?!" Sia's voice was hoarse with shock and anger. He quickly scanned his surroundings, confirming there were no ambushes, but the alarm bells in his mind rang even louder. This place was extremely dangerous; she shouldn't have come! She absolutely couldn't have come!
Zhou didn't answer his question. Her gaze was fixed on him, as if trying to read the intensely churning spectrum of emotions emanating from him, almost scorching her vision—the cold, steely blue representing a resolute mission, the dark gold of loyalty to die for someone important, the deep purple of suppressed, immense sorrow, and…
A dense, impenetrable, deathly gray-black hue, pointing to the end. This color caused her heart to clench, making it almost impossible for her to breathe.
“What you’re about to do… is dangerous, isn’t it?” Zhou’s voice was soft, but with a barely perceptible tremor. She took a few steps forward, ignoring the gun still pointed at her. “I ‘saw’ it… that color… the color of the end. Clearer than ever before.”
Sia's heart sank. She could indeed see his almost suicidal resolve on this trip. He forced himself to harden his heart and lower his gun, but his body remained as tense as iron.
“This is none of your business.” He looked away, his voice as cold as ice. “Leave here immediately and go back to your bookstore. This is not a place for you.”
“Xiya…” Zhou took another step closer, close enough to smell the mixture of gunpowder, sweat, and blood on him. Her eyes were filled with pleading. “There must be another way… Miss Xuyue… may not need you to do it this way…”
"What do you know?!" Xia abruptly interrupted her, his suppressed anxiety and fear of her perilous situation making him speak without thinking. He had to use the harshest words to drive her away. "This is the organization's top priority! It's revenge! It's for Xuyue! You're an outsider, a freak who can only play with records and look at colors, what right do you have to tell me what to do?! My life and my path are my own decisions, it's none of your business!"
His words were like poisoned daggers, piercing Zhou's heart as well as his own. He saw Zhou's face turn pale instantly, the pity and worry in his eyes replaced by immense pain, and his slender body swayed almost imperceptibly.
But Zhou did not back down. She looked up at him, her clear eyes gradually filling with tears, but she stubbornly refused to let them fall.
“I know I can’t stop you… just like I can’t stop fate…” Her voice choked with sobs, yet remained unusually clear, “But I’m not an outsider, Xiya. I can see… I can see that besides loyalty and hatred, there’s something else in your heart… there’s pain, there’s reluctance… you don’t really want to die…”
"Shut up!" Sia growled, fear and heartache nearly driving him to the brink of madness. He couldn't let her continue, couldn't let her see his final weakness. He stepped forward, grabbing her thin shoulders with both hands, the force so strong that she groaned in pain.
He stared into her eyes, straining to make his expression look ferocious and cold: "Listen, Zhou! I've never cared about you! Everything before was just because... because of the pressure of the mission, I was just looking for you to relieve my boredom! You mean nothing to me! Now, get out of my sight immediately! Go back to your normal world! Don't ever appear in front of me again! Otherwise... don't blame me for being ruthless!"
He spoke the most insincere and cruel words, each one like a slow, agonizing torture of his own soul. He had to sever this last ties, he had to make her hate him, he had to completely distance her from this doomed storm.
Zhou's tears finally slid down her pale cheeks silently. She looked at the pain and struggle in Xi Ya's eyes, which he tried so hard to hide but still revealed, and at the chaotic colors around him, a mixture of dazzling bright orange and gray-black deathly will, that had exploded from his lies. A chilling understanding washed over her.
It wasn't that he didn't care. He was pushing her away and protecting her in the most clumsy and cruel way.
“Xia…” she choked back tears, raising her hand to gently cover his hand that was gripping her shoulders tightly, his knuckles white from the force, the touch cold and trembling, “The color of your lies… is horribly ugly…”
These words were like the last straw, breaking down Xiya's carefully constructed defenses. He abruptly released her hand, staggering back a few steps as if burned, barely daring to look at her tear-streaked face.
“Go…” He turned his back, his voice low and hoarse, filled with endless exhaustion and despair, “I’m begging you… Zhou… forget me, and live a good life.”
There was silence behind him for a long time. Only the wailing of the wind through the ruins and the sound of his own heart shattering.
He didn't know how much time had passed when he heard a very soft sob, like a sigh, followed by the sound of staggering footsteps fading into the distance.
Xiya remained stiffly facing away from the direction she had left, her eyes tightly closed, her jaw clenched, until the taste of blood filled her mouth.
He succeeded. He drove her away, severing the last thread of connection that could have weakened him or killed her in the most cruel way.
But why does my heart ache so much? It hurts a thousand times more than any wound.
He slowly opened his eyes, gazing at the desolate ruins before him, feeling as if a part of his soul had died with it. From that moment on, he was a pure weapon, existing solely for the sake of Xu Yue and revenge, with no more attachments, and... no more path home.
...
Meanwhile, on a high point a few blocks away from the church ruins.
Hei Yuanying lay prone on the edge of the roof of an abandoned factory, holding a meticulously modified sniper rifle with an unusually long barrel.
She wore worn-out, grayish-brown clothes that blended in with her surroundings, but the outline of what was originally a dress could still be discerned. Her long, dark blue hair cascaded down like seaweed, making her pale face appear even smaller.
Those large, amber eyes were now fixed on a certain spot in the distant church ruins through a high-powered scope, their gaze so focused it was almost vacant, as if the whole world consisted only of the crosshairs in the scope and that faintly visible red hair.
“Wind direction is easterly, wind speed is level 3, humidity is high, trajectory needs to be corrected… two units…” she murmured to herself, her voice as soft as a dream, her fingers making imperceptible movements on the gun's adjustment knob.
Her movements were fluid and precise, possessing a chilling skill beyond her years. Through the scope, the red-haired target was mostly obscured by the stone pillars, but she had ample patience. Her brother had said that the best hunters know how to wait for their opportunity.
Her thoughts were drifting. Her memories of three days ago were hazy, shrouded in a thick fog. She only vaguely remembered having a huge fight with her brother. What was it about? It seemed to be about an "opportunity" brought by a man named Dream Snake?
She couldn't remember the specific details, only a lingering, stifling feeling of grievance remained. Why did her brother always doubt her ability to do it? She just wanted to…
I just want them to have a better life, so they don't have to hide in that drafty wooden hut anymore, and so they don't have to worry about where their next meal will come from. If this mission succeeds, we should get a lot of money, right? Then my brother won't be angry anymore...
Perhaps she could buy her brother that thick illustrated guide to Chinese herbal medicine that he'd always wanted, and she could also buy lots and lots of canned food for the clingy cats in the cabin...
Thinking of this, a faint, almost ethereal smile appeared on her pale, nearly transparent face. But the smile quickly vanished, and she reverted to the cold, precise sniper "Charm."
Lady Dream Serpent's order was clear: that red-haired man, codenamed "Whale Shark" Sia, must be eliminated. He had obtained something he shouldn't have. As for what he had obtained, that was not her concern.
All she had to do was pull the trigger, and then... then she could go home, back to her brother and the cats. How much she'd remember three days later didn't matter. What mattered was now, was the target in the scope.
Not far behind her, in a more shadowy area, Hei Yuankong leaned against a rusty iron frame. He coughed violently, tightly covering his mouth with a faded handkerchief, his thin shoulders trembling with each cough.
Even from a distance, you could hear the heart-wrenching sound of his lungs gurgling like a broken bellows. He wore a thick mask, but the skin around his forehead and eyes showed an unhealthy bluish-white color, and the shadows under his eyes were so heavy that it looked like he had been punched twice.
His cough had barely subsided when he breathed weakly, raising his empty, unfocused eyes to gaze at his sister's petite yet resolute back. His eyes were filled with an unresolvable worry and... a deep, lingering pain.
He opposed the mission, vehemently opposed it. That man, Meng She, exuded the aura of a venomous snake; the "opportunity" he brought was inevitably poison disguised as honey. He only wanted to live out the rest of his life peacefully, even in poverty, with his sister in their secluded cabin and their loyal cats.
But Ying... she always longed for the outside world, longed to prove herself, longed for change. They had their most intense argument over this, and the hurtful words they exchanged still pierce his heart like shards of glass.
Then, at the very last moment of the two-day consideration period given by Meng She, Ying disappeared. He searched frantically, and finally found only a note left by Ying, with messy handwriting, which read: "Brother, wait for me to come back. I will prove that I can do it. We will have a good life."
He was on the verge of collapse. He knew where his sister had gone and what she was going to do. He tried to stop her, but his weakened body and inner despair slowed him down. By the time he finally tracked her down here based on some scattered clues, it was too late. Ying was already in position, and the mission was about to begin.
All he can do now is stay here, guarding his sister. If the mission fails, if something unexpected happens, perhaps... perhaps he can use his own life to give his sister a chance at survival.
Even though he knew the hope was pitifully slim, he watched his sister's focused back, his heart filled with endless regret. He hated his own powerlessness, his ailing body, and even more so, this world that had never shown them a shred of kindness.
Why... why do they always have to get involved in these dirty struggles and killings when they just want to live?
He couldn't help coughing again, and this time, a faint crimson stain stained the handkerchief. He silently clenched the handkerchief and hid it in his sleeve, not wanting his sister to see it, even though she wouldn't turn around at that moment.
Time ticked by. Within the church ruins, Xiya was like a taut bowstring. On the rooftop, Hei Yuanying's finger lightly rested on the trigger, her breathing becoming soft and drawn-out. Behind her, Hei Yuankong seemed to await a predetermined judgment, his eyes filled with despair.
In the distance, the faint sound of a car engine could be heard—was it someone coming to pick them up, or... something else?
The last vestiges of calm before the storm are about to be shattered.
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