Author: 易修罗 / Yi Xiu Luo

Translator: Kinky || https://kinkytranslations.com/

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Chapter 94

Tai Yin shakily picked up Shang Yang’s dagger from the ground, almost dropping it several times.

This dagger was a gift from the bishop to Shang Yang for self-defense—who would have thought it would become the very tool to end his life.

The army’s most elite soldiers surrounded Tai Yin. Standing alone in the encirclement, he seemed to embody his current isolated state.

He was no longer the revered genius scientist nor the top-wanted criminal who left the military powerless. He was just a man who had lost his love.

Ling Xiao, unaware of how this impacted his own memories, simply found this stranger looking somewhat pitiable.

Fu Yao slowly raised his hand. “Kill him.”

At his command, the formation quickly shifted, with the fastest soldiers charging to the front. With such an onslaught, Tai Yin had no chance of survival.

A flying vehicle descended from the sky, its powerful air current halting the attackers.

The hatch popped open, and a man with the appearance of a youth but with black eyes appeared behind Tai Yin, extending his hand amidst the roaring engines.

“Let’s go!”

Recognizing the man’s face, Fu Yao was startled and quickly ordered, as he noticed his soldiers targeting the newcomer, “Cease fire!”

The soldiers, though unclear of Fu Yao’s intentions, ceased their firing.

Fei Jing?! Fuyao was shocked. A man missing for over a century—why would he suddenly appear here?

Ling Xiao was equally surprised. Why would Ying Feng appear here? And why rescue Tai Yin?

Before he could ponder more, someone pushed him aside. The principal rushed to the front, his gaze unwaveringly fixed on the newcomer.

Fei Jing sensed the stare and looked back. Their eyes met, and time seemed to stop.

Amidst the crowd, only the two of them remained clear, while everything else became a misty blur. Their eyes, with different colors, were proof of their past encounters.

Time started to move again. Forcing his gaze away from Ta Yun, Fei Jing urged Tai Yin again. “Hurry!”

Tai Yin remained motionless, ignoring Fei Jing’s words. Only Fu Yao noticed his hand.

The same ominous feeling from before flashed in his mind. When Tai Yin acted, he never showed any motion.

“Be careful!”

A massive explosion erupted, centered on Tai Yin. Thanks to Fu Yao’s warning, the soldiers at the forefront quickly retreated, but Fei Jing, being closest to Tai Yin, had no escape. Ling Xiao glimpsed the principal disappearing in the explosion’s core, a familiar silhouette fleetingly visible.

“Principal!”

Ling Xiao tried to rush forward but was held down by two soldiers. Another explosion forced him to turn his head away to avoid the aftermath. The area was engulfed in flames. Soldiers shielded the civilians, and Fu Yao’s elite squad erected a large protective barrier using soul crystals, containing the force of the explosion.

Just before the explosion, Fei Jing saw a flash, and the long-lost individual teleported in front of him, tackling him to the ground. Following were loud bangs, heat waves, and blazes. Inside the vehicle, temperatures soared.

Feeling the unmoving body atop him, Fei Jing carefully turned over Ta Yun, staring at him in disbelief. Amidst continuous explosions, Ta Yun slowly opened his eyes.

“After waiting so long, I wanted to say to you personally…”

Fei Jing’s grip tightened. The breath of the man in his arms was faint, but those words were clearly heard.

“I’m sorry.”

With Ta Yun’s inner conflict resolved, he felt an unprecedented sense of peace. His soul returned to its Qizhu. His body felt lighter, and a profound fatigue set in. How long had it been since he slept without the aid of drugs?

He felt Fei Jing’s embrace tightening. Such a comforting hold made his century-long wait worth it.

“I can finally have a good sleep…”

Fei Jing, holding the person in his arms, felt lost. Outside the cabin flashed a final blinding light. The massive explosion consumed everything. Tai Yin’s life tragically ended this way, but sadly, some no longer have another lifetime to accompany him.

“Principal!”

“Ta Yun!”

Two cries in unison came from Ling Xiao and Fu Yao. After the explosion finally ceased, the two men simultaneously dashed forward. Flames blocked their path, but Fu Yao didn’t hesitate. He clasped his hands together, and a chill emanated from his palms. This was the highest level of elemental soul crystal he could activate as a physical arts user. Apart from high mental energy consumption, it could also cause physical harm.

Ling Xiao watched in amazement as the flames before them solidified into ice, preserving their last fiery stance. Once Fu Yao withdrew his hands, the inferno transformed into a frozen wasteland.

Braving the intense cold, Ling Xiao followed Fu Yao. The aircraft meant to save Tai Yin was frozen as well. Icicles of varying lengths hung on its exterior. Fu Yao, using rapid teleportation dashes, soon left Ling Xiao far behind.

“Ta Yun! Fei Jing!” He forcefully shattered the layer of ice blocking the entrance, leapt inside, and then suddenly froze in his actions. A while later, Ling Xiao also entered but similarly halted in his tracks. The interior of the aircraft was severely damaged, filled with wreckage, and void of any human presence.

He felt drained. Ever since waking up in the medical station and being told his memories were erased, familiar faces had been vanishing from his life one after another. Now even the last, the principal, was gone.

Fu Yao turned and saw the blank expression on Ling Xiao’s face, as if he himself was invisible to him. He placed a hand on Ling Xiao’s shoulder. Seeing Ling Xiao’s still bewildered look, he remembered that in Ling Xiao’s memories, he didn’t exist either.

“That wasn’t Ying Feng; he just looked similar. Without relics and without a trace of their souls, perhaps they just left,” Fu Yao murmured, attempting to console both Ling Xiao and himself.

Ling Xiao looked down. The news had described Ying Feng with those same words. But who really believed he merely departed?

The two soldiers responsible for guarding Ling Xiao still stood diligently outside. Fu Yao recognized them as being from Long Yin’s team.

As he passed them, Fu Yao whispered, “Take him back. He shouldn’t stay here.”

The soldiers saluted him, then escorted the seemingly petrified Ling Xiao away. Ling Xiao let them lead him wherever they desired, without any objections.

Nie Yun approached Fu Yao. “The Burning Shadow is ready. Do you want to wait until everything here is settled before leaving?”

Fu Yao shook his head. There would be others to handle the aftermath here. A more critical mission awaited him.

“Let’s go.”

……

Ling Xiao was taken away, but instead of being taken to the medical station, he was returned to his own dormitory in Royal Sky. It was unclear how Long Yin’s plans had changed.

The door was opened for him by the people who escorted him. Ling Xiao looked at the door he had never seen before, opened with his own card, revealing an entirely unfamiliar space. Despite all that had transpired, he still struggled to believe that he had been living here with Ying Feng for several months.

Stepping into the dormitory, Ling Xiao examined the place with confusion. The living room was filled with game terminals and starship models he liked, and there was a carefully arranged doghouse in the corner.

People from the medical station arrived, carrying a cage. Ling Xiao opened the cage and took out Xiao Hui, then glanced at the doghouse in the corner. More and more clues formed a web, each node representing his past, so real that doubt seemed impossible.

Red Head, Yu Ji, and the others got the news and hurried over, carefully surrounding Ling Xiao.

“You are a first-year student of the Royal Sky Joint Combat Division. Everyone here is your classmate. You and I are very, very close friends. Even if you forget my name, it’s okay, because you never remembered it before and always just called me Red Head.”

“Red Head?” Ling Xiao looked at his hair. If he met him again, he’d probably still call him that. It really didn’t sound like a lie.

“Yes, this is my Qizhu Bing Can. Over there are Yu Ji and Shuang Feng. We are all good friends.”

Ling Xiao, who had thought he was all alone, was suddenly surrounded by so many “good friends” and struggled to adjust.

Using the excuse of examining the dormitory, he avoided their gaze, holding Xiao Hui and moving from the living room to the bedroom. The double bed reminded him of the nights he’d spent sleeplessly curled up in a corner. To him, the self-initiated indulgence felt like it had just happened yesterday. A sudden thought struck Ling Xiao, and he handed Xiao Hui to someone nearby, frantically searching the room. Red Head and the others looked puzzled. “What are you looking for? Do you need our help?”

Ling Xiao ignored the question, and after turning the room upside down, he finally found a black box under the bed. Opening the box, everything inside remained untouched.

“What is it?” Red Head curiously tried to look, but Ling Xiao quickly turned the box away, holding it protectively. Realizing he might have crossed a boundary, Red Head awkwardly smiled. “Sorry.”

Yu Ji, holding Xiao Hui, had an affinity for animals from long interactions with various creatures, so Xiao Hui didn’t resist his embrace. From the beginning, he had been trying to determine what species this suddenly introduced creature belonged to. During his examination, he unexpectedly found a foreign object in its fur.

Using two fingers, he pinched what looked like a flea and held it up to the light.

“What is this?”

……

At the onset of the explosion, Ying Feng instinctively protected the person in his arms, holding on tightly until the deafening noise ceased. Only then did he see the face of the person he was holding.

“Congratulations, you’ve made your choice.”

He turned and saw Ling Xing standing not far away, smiling at him. His left hand was empty, but his right hand was still tightly held onto Ling Xiao.

“In the face of danger, you chose to bear the pain and not let go. Isn’t that the choice you’ve made in this life? See, making such a choice isn’t difficult, is it?”

Ling Xing lifted his hand, and another person took it. Ying Feng glanced aside and saw the person beside him was Jing Yu.

“I naturally have someone by my side. You don’t have to worry about me. But someone is worried about you. You should wake up too.”

Having said that, Ling Xing and Jing Yu walked away hand in hand. Ying Feng watched their retreating figures until they disappeared into specks of light. The white dots gradually expanded, overtaking his vision. A familiar voice incessantly called his name, and Ying Feng slowly opened his eyes.

The first thing he saw was Ling Xiao. Ling Xiao’s hands emanated a white orb of light, clearly using a healing soul crystal on him.

Ying Feng’s mind was still foggy. His gaze shifted from Ling Xiao’s unfamiliar attire to his hands. It took him a moment to realize that the glow from the soul crystal, being so intense, was at least level seven. This was the highest level Ling Xiao, not specializing in mental abilities, could activate.

But when had Ling Xiao obtained such potent mental power?

Ying Feng’s body was rapidly healing, and soon he had the strength to sit up. However, Ling Xiao, evidently drained of his mental power, looked exhausted.

Nevertheless, upon seeing Ying Feng unharmed, he grinned, spreading his arms and giving Ying Feng a big hug.

Ying Feng found himself enveloped in the embrace, feeling a sense of reunion after a long separation. What was happening?

When Ling Xiao finally released him and sat back down, Ying Feng noticed Ling Xiao’s crescent-shaped, smiling eyes.

He exclaimed, “Your eyes…”

But before he could finish, he noticed something even more startling.

“Your body?”

Upon Ying Feng’s words, Ling Xiao also noticed the change in his own body. He looked down in astonishment at his hands, which were becoming increasingly transparent. Ying Feng could now see through him, observing the wreckage of a spaceship and unidentified bodies behind him.

If there were no specks of light around, Ying Feng might have thought it was a sign of death.

Ling Xiao’s gaze returned to him, and as if recalling something important, he blurted out:

“Ying Feng, the peach pit is…”

His voice abruptly ceased, and before Ying Feng’s eyes, there was nothing. Everything that had just occurred seemed like a self-induced illusion, with no evidence to suggest Ling Xiao had been there.

The dream he had while unconscious was no longer clear. It felt as if someone wanted him to make a choice, but what that choice was and what he ultimately decided remained trapped in that dream.

However, Ling Xiao’s brief appearance and the words he left behind were vivid in his memory.

What is the peach pit? What does the peach pit mean?

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