Chapter 409: The Mark and the Prophecy

The firmament seemed to crack.

Above the sky of Xinquan, that pervasive darkness was rapidly dissipating and shrinking; as the projection of the great serpent faded, it was seen no more. The remnants of the Great Calamity’s taint were washed away by the rain of mercury, and soon, the entire town returned to its usual appearance.

As the walls of mercury retracted and vanished, the sirens ceased abruptly. Once the Security Department’s teams lifted the martial law, pedestrians reappeared on the streets.

The shaken onlookers exchanged glances and whispers, rumors flying everywhere. After all, the changes within these few short hours were simply too many, exceeding what most people had seen in their entire lives.

Some began to worry that the coast was conducting some wicked experiment, and if things went wrong, it might blow all of Xinquan to the heavens. Others retorted, "You're talking nonsense! I saw it with my own eyes—this is the resurgence of Qi, understand? It must be that Factory Manager Ji has finally completed his cultivation, passed the lightning tribulation, broken the sky with a single sword, and ascended while riding the serpent..."

Numerous rumors spread in various forms, their imagination truly spectacular and eye-opening.

It didn't take long for the chaos to pass—or rather, aside from the coastal industrial park, other places had always been quite chaotic; it was just a return to the usual level.

Before long, the market stalls were set up again, operating as normal.

To make a living outside the city, one needs a strong heart.

These days, wind, rain, and death were mostly common occurrences, nothing strange. Besides, no one had died yet, so what was there to fear? Working this afternoon counted as overtime, and the pay was double!

After working an hour or so on the assembly line, wouldn't that be enough to go get a foot massage?

How delightful, brothers!

"...In general, that is all," Isis reported. "Due to the attacker's interference, the current sterilization of the Haizhou wilderness has not been completed. Shall we con-tinue?"

"What is the progress on clearing the key areas outside the city?"

"One hundred percent," Isis replied decisively. "All marked large swarms of adult insects have been completely exterminated."

"Then let's stop there for now."

Ji Jue lowered his eyes, staring at the inquiries and warnings constantly popping up on his phone screen. He sneered and put the phone away. "Since what needed to be done is finished, if they want to sweep the snow from their own doorsteps, let them be."

Originally, they had all turned a blind eye and a deaf ear, but now that the coast had taken action, they were all jumping out to show off their presence.

Clowns, nothing more.

I truly hope that if any counterattacks occur next, they can still be this stubborn.

Ji Jue held two mercury crystals made through solid alchemy, feeling the spiritual essence he had plundered from them, and fell into deep thought.

The creation of the Soul Pointer needed to be put on the agenda, but Xinquan’s reserves of Aether-series materials were still too scarce. It might require taking two more chickens to bother the Tong family again.

Compared to that, he was more concerned about the anomaly in his palm.

Not long ago, just as the great serpent disintegrated and its avatar dissipated, some unexpected problem seemed to occur. Following that crystal light rising from Yacheng, it completely lost control, causing its structure to collapse entirely, leaving it defenseless and wide open.

Ji Jue certainly couldn't miss such a good opportunity...

With quick eyes and fast hands.

He took advantage of the momentum to ruthlessly snatch a handful from the core of the great serpent.

As a result, it seemed he really had snatched something back?

Under the workshop's enhancement, the Hand of Non-Aggression performed well beyond its limits. For a fleeting moment, Ji Jue truly felt he had grabbed something vital, held it tight, and pulled it back...

Yet his palm was empty.

It felt like a hallucination.

A fragile thing like a dream bubble, as if it had never existed in the first place.

Only through the dual observation of Chunjun’s soul shadow and Ji Jue’s own spiritual vision could one see that faint, vague outline in his palm.

A bizarre emblem like a phantom flower in the mist.

If one didn't look closely, it was hard to even notice.

Ji Jue frowned, instinctively trying to analyze it, only to realize it was purely a spiritual mark that was nearly non-existent. It was like a sign, a credential, a...

Key?

But if it were a key, what was it meant to open?

Holding it in his hand, he could feel a certain faint call and resonance, like an invitation, issuing guidance—only that guidance was too weak to be felt clearly.

While deep in thought, a flicker of his mind caught the sound of footsteps behind him.

Mercury flowed, completely covering that spiritual emblem, which seemed as if it would scatter in the wind, sealing and storing it.

He would study it slowly later.

"Mr. Ji... are you alright?"

Yu Shu, panting heavily, finally climbed up the stairs, drenched in sweat, as if he had been looking for him for a long time.

Having felt the intense spiritual fluctuations and the clash earlier, he was still shaken, his face faintly pale.

Only after confirming Ji Jue’s safety did he finally let out a long breath, though he didn't even know why he was so worried.

Wiping his sweat, he gasped, "What... what exactly happened just now?"

"Ah, just had a few fights, don't worry."

Ji Jue waved his hand dismissively. "It seems the spreader of the Spirit Plague came knocking. We traded blows, and I was lucky not to come out at a loss."

"Spirit Plague..."

Yu Shu looked blank, as if unable to comprehend, but soon, his pale face flushed red. Stunned, he subconsciously clenched his fists. "The spread of the Spirit Plague is... is man-made?"

"..."

Ji Jue turned back, looked at his lost and dazed expression, and withdrew his gaze with pity.

"In this world, how much of the hell we see is not man-made?"

"Are you awake?"

A gentle voice sounded from beside her, unhurried.

In a trance, Wen Su opened her eyes from a long dream and saw that figure sitting by the window, a middle-aged man with a lazy smile, his expression soft. "Running off like that really caused a massive mess...

You really went too far with your mischief. If I hadn't stopped him, Fourth Brother would have already swallowed you whole."

"...Father?"

Wen Su’s expression stiffened, and she subconsciously rose, restraining her cowering and unease.

Only then did she feel the injuries on her body... the heavy wounds that should have caused her to fall apart had actually improved significantly, without any aftereffects. Even that wisp of dragon fire that could have burned her soul to ashes had vanished into thin air.

A narrow escape from death.

It was a pity that her heart could not muster the slightest joy or relief, especially since that figure had appeared in the safe house she had gone to such great lengths to hide and set up.

As if he had returned to his own home, he was familiar with everything, even using her favorite tea set to brew tea. The fragrance of tea swirled and rose, carrying a faint, sweet scent.

"Try it. It's good tea I won from a bet. It settles the soul and has a miraculous effect on your injuries." The lazy man leaning by the window beckoned, signaling her to sit over.

Resting his chin on his hand, he admired her sipping the tea, much like watching a little hamster eating sunflower seeds, and gently stroked her hair:

"To be honest, I still like your previous rebellious look, but this look of hiding your claws is also quite cute."

Wen Su stiffened for a moment, restraining the trembling and twitching of her shoulders, and gathered the courage to look into those pitch-black eyes. In the pure darkness, there was always a faint, lingering smile.

Reflecting her face.

Just like looking down at dust.

"Father, you... aren't you angry with me?" Wen Su asked.

"Angry at you for what?"

Wen Zheng laughed, as if puzzled, or perhaps waiting for her confession, his smile always gentle.

"Angry at me for catalyzing the Spirit Plague in the Federation, telling Sister about Fourth Brother’s plan, and... and..." Wen Su’s voice paused for a moment, her tone becoming dry. "And, ruining your plans."

"Since you already know, what else is there to say?"

Wen Zheng continued to smile.

Only, he slowly reached out his hand toward her.

The palm with five fingers spread seemed like infinite darkness, covering her entire field of vision bit by bit, as if blocking the sky and the sun, obscuring everything.

Then, he curled his knuckles and flicked.

*Snap!*

Leaving a red mark.

"Silly talk."

Wen Zheng shook his head dotingly. "Although the remains of the Yellow Millet are precious, they are not irreplaceable. Although the Federation is troublesome, it is not unsolvable. Besides, no matter who wins or loses, aren't they all my children?

You had the heart to participate, what could I possibly blame you for?"

Then what was this?

Toying with prey, mocking resistance that overestimated its own strength, or perhaps the satisfaction and pleasure of watching a farce from high above?

Putting on an act...

"Don't worry, Father isn't petty to that extent."

Wen Zheng reached out his hand again, just like when she was a child, affectionately picking her up and letting her sit on his lap. Then, he carefully combed her hair, strand by strand, solemnly and meticulously braiding it.

"When parents love their children, they plan for them deeply. A momentary setback or mistake is nothing. I only hope you can be stronger, stronger than me, and surpass your master."

He stroked his daughter’s braided hair and told her, "Whether it’s Xiao Sheng, Xiao Wen, Xiao Duan... or you."

Full of expectation and kindness.

Just like taking care of a beloved experimental subject, always tolerant, always patient, always full of appreciation and affection.

He said, "Besides, didn't you do very well?"

In that instant, Wen Su stiffened.

Dazed, in disbelief.

"From the very beginning, in this game, that child was a vital participant, an indispensable key existence. Unfortunately, she is too stubborn and too narrow-minded. I was still worrying before about how to persuade her to come back.

As it turns out, it was completely unexpected..."

The person behind her laughed, happy and expectant, whispering in her ear, "Haven't you already almost brought her back?"

Wen Su felt as if she had fallen into an ice cellar.

Stiff.

"You... from the very beginning..."

"Yes, that's right. From the day you stole the original strain of the Dream-Loss Syndrome, I already knew," Wen Zheng said with a smile. "It’s rare for my little bird to take the initiative to do something; it’s impossible not to pay attention, right?

Besides, your method actually had problems. If you really wanted to keep Xiao Wen away from all this, you should have hardened your heart and made a clean break with her.

In the end, you were just lying to yourself, weren't you?"

Wen Su wanted to speak, but could not make a sound, trembling, furious beyond measure.

"I want Sister to stay away from all this, I want Sister to be careful, I want her to be prepared... You kept telling yourself that, but in the end, you just wanted to see her. You never thought at all that you would be the one to get her killed," Wen Zheng said. "You were the one who pulled her back in, A-Su. Well done."

"I... I..."

"It doesn't matter. Father will forgive you, and Father will forgive her. You are all my most beloved children."

Wen Zheng embraced her, gentle and generous, telling her, "She will come back."

"The rebellious phase is very short, and I have enough patience. One day, that child will return to my embrace. She will recognize reality, recognize herself..."

Wen Zheng laughed heartily, unable to contain his joy. "Perhaps that prophecy will really come true for her."

Wen Su was silent, unable to make another sound.

Like a puppet, stiff, her mind empty.

Only broken echoes remained.

[One day, among your descendants, there will appear one stronger than you.]

Ninety-one years ago, before the previous generation’s "Heavenly Book" returned to the Supreme Good, it had made a prophecy for the Holy Fool, who was not yet called the "Guide" at that time.

Unfortunately, this prophecy also had a second half.

She said:

[————And you will die at the hands of that person.]

This was a destined nightmare.

Yet Wen Zheng was exhilarated by it.

Since that time, he, who had never married, began to appear frequently in various places in the world, raising many and adopting countless others.

He poured all his strength into cultivating his descendants, sparing no sacrifice or effort.

He even never concealed or hid the existence of this prophecy; instead, he solemnly told every child about it.

Every time he finished telling them, he would solemnly ask the child in front of him, "Will you be that person?"

Whether the answer was yes or no, he didn't care, and would still provide support without sparing any effort.

Hoping they could display their talents.

Hoping they could achieve something!

"So many years have passed. Perhaps this is the closest I have ever been to that prophecy. Hmm, although the distance is still far, it should be called a key node."

Wen Zheng sighed, stroking his daughter’s hair, caressing the tool that had performed brilliantly, his smile remaining. "Let’s wait and see. I am also very curious to know who will ultimately win this game."

"Father..."

In the long silence, Wen Su raised her head and looked at him.

For a moment, her hollow expression seemed to change.

She said, "Can I participate?"

Wen Zheng was silent, looking at her, only his smile gradually growing warmer.

So gratified.

"Of course."