Chapter 87: Flickering Lanterns

The interzone shuttle glowed brilliantly as it sliced through the sky.

Behind the vessel, blazing white exhaust trails illuminated the dim cloud layer.

“Anquan Force of the continent requests communication!”

A prompt tone sounded.

Ji Xue turned her head, her gray paw hovering above the button, looking at Jiang Jian: “Should we answer?”

Jiang Jian nodded: “Answer.”

The next second.

The Anquan Force officer’s voice came through: “This is Anhezhou Anquan Force; please report your identity!”

Before the cabin’s main console, Ji Xue tapped the holographic screen and said: “Interzone shuttle from Linjiangzhou, registered to a student of Linjiang Academy. I’ll send you the identity device data.”

Her voice sounded like that of a young girl.

Calm and gentle, it brought a sense of reassurance.

A few seconds later.

“Alright, I’ll log your entry!”

After verifying the identity device data, the officer’s tone softened: “Welcome home!”

“I don’t have a home.”

Ji Xue pursed her lips, muttered to herself, swiped away the holographic screen, and turned her gaze to the navigation map.

On the pale blue star chart, the light dot representing the interzone shuttle sped forward.

It was drawing closer to Anhe Academy.

Beneath rolling heavy clouds, the mountains, rivers, lakes, and seas of the continent flashed by like puzzle pieces, vanishing behind in the blink of an eye.

The interzone shuttle was a new-type vessel of Linjiangzhou.

Anhezhou was far too impoverished.

Before this, no such advanced shuttle had ever been registered in its records.

Most aircraft within Anhezhou’s borders were still outdated, manually piloted shuttles.

Only the wealthy Shenzhao District, city governments, and sacred temples like the Pray-Deity Hall possessed expensive unmanned shuttles.

As for ordinary citizens in the Shadow Zone, the only advanced technology they could access.

Was nothing but the identity device on their wrists.

“Senior Jiang Jian, my theoretical scores are tied with yours, ranked first in both districts of Guangling City.”

“Senior Jiang Jian, I’ve been rewatching your annotations on ‘Overview of the Divine’ and have gained many new insights.”

“Senior Jiang Jian, I have some materials that might be useful to you…”

On the holographic screen was a communication from Nie Zheng of Guangling No. 1 High School.

Jiang Jian swiped his finger, pausing on the last message.

The attachment was a document.

“Direct Guide to Divine Gift Cultivation,” over a hundred pages long.

It detailed the cultivation essentials of Shenque Lingyun.

Most importantly,

this document was clearly a private annotation, containing many unique insights.

Although Linjiang Academy’s library held many similar materials,

this file remained extremely valuable.

Jiang Jian flipped through two pages, his gaze shifting slightly, saved the file, and replied to Nie Zheng.

“Thank you. I have some notes of my own; by next year’s Divine Gift Exam, they should help you.”

After sending the message,

Jiang Jian located the annotations he’d written separately for his sister before the Divine Gift Exam and sent them over.

In his mailbox, Teacher Zhou Yu’s messages mostly consisted of inquiries about his well-being and his studies at Linjiang Academy.

Jiang Jian scored a perfect 100 on the Divine Gift Exam and gained admission to Linjiang Academy.

This not only brought great fame to Guangling No. 1 High School in the Shadow Zone,

but also elevated Zhou Yu’s status significantly.

His teaching salary was raised to 1,200 Alliance Coins per month.

In addition, he received numerous extra rewards.

Guangling City was resource-poor; residents barely earned enough to eat.

Saving any extra money was extremely difficult.

Guangling City lay in a remote corner of Anhezhou.

No spiritual veins, no waterways, no mountain ranges—extremely impoverished.

Here,

a monthly income of 500 Alliance Coins was already considered high pay.

Zhou Yu earned 1,200 Alliance Coins monthly, surpassing 99% of Shadow Zone residents.

Although high-income earners in the Shadow Zone had to pay expensive income surcharges to the Guangling City government,

even after deductions, he still retained nearly 800 Alliance Coins.

“We’re almost there.”

Ji Xue lay curled on the cabin seat, staring at the star chart, whispering a reminder.

Jiang Jian deleted Zhou Yu’s message, dialed Jiang Zhao’s identity device, and told the gray fox: “Slow down.”

The interzone shuttle tore through the clouds and descended toward the continent’s landmass.

Below, occasional outdated, worn-out aerial shuttles passed by.

Upon seeing the massive interzone shuttle, their pilots paled slightly.

They steered their vessels far away, daring not to approach.

Beep.

Beep.

No answer.

Jiang Jian frowned, swiped his finger, and opened Jiang Zhao’s communication interface.

His sister’s last message remained from a day ago.

“Jiang Jian, I’m feeling better today—only had one headache.”

“By the way, I saw on the Union Forum that you beat Lu Tingting. That’s amazing.”

“Jiang Jian, remember to take your medicine.”

…

Jiang Jian swiped away the message and dialed real-time communication again.

Beep.

Beep.

Still no answer.

The identity device was bound to every Earth citizen’s wrist.

It was used for everything.

Unless dead, no one would ever remove it.

Real-time communication via the identity device carried unmistakable alerts—there was no way to miss it.

“Could she…”

“It shouldn’t be.”

“Jiang Zhao’s birthday is March 15th—it hasn’t arrived yet.”

Jiang Jian frowned, lowered his gaze to his wrist.

The Frost Jade Bracelet shimmered with faint light, delicate frost petals drifting down.

…

Anhe Academy.

Girls’ dormitory.

“Zhaozhao, are you alright?”

Zhong Ling looked worried: “Don’t push yourself—I’ll take you to the clinic.”

Jiang Zhao’s face was pale; she leaned against the bed rail, shaking her head slightly, unable to speak a word.

Somehow,

a cold silver light had begun surging deep within her pupils.

These faint glimmers gathered and dispersed without form, appearing and vanishing intermittently.

“I…”

The headache subsided; Jiang Zhao lifted her eyelids, about to speak.

Her spirit suddenly tightened.

An indescribable pulling force surged from the depths of her soul.

Her consciousness instantly collapsed.

The girl’s frail body collapsed helplessly onto the bed.

“Zhaozhao!”

Zhong Ling’s fingers trembled, and she couldn’t help but scream.

……

……

……

“Where am I?”

She woke from a daze.

Jiang Zhao struggled to lift her eyelids.

Before her eyes appeared the back of a boy.

“Jiang Jian!?”

Jiang Zhao’s pupils contracted; countless questions surged in her heart.

“No—this person before me is young Jiang Jian!”

Jiang Zhao sat up, astonished to realize.

Her own body now was no older than a child’s.

“Sister, I have to go.”

The boy sensed her movement, didn’t turn around, and spoke softly.

Jiang Zhao opened her mouth to speak.

But she found she couldn’t control her body at all.

The act of sitting up had been done by “herself,” not her.

“Brother… brother…”

The “herself” sitting up moved her lips, whispering.

Jiang Zhao frowned, murmuring: “Is this dumb, foolish girl… me when I was young?”

“Is this… my memory?”

She watched the scene before her, thinking quietly.

A few seconds later.

She had already reached a firm conclusion.

This place was the Shadow District of Guangling City, the Public Care Center.

“But I don’t recall this moment in my memory.”

Jiang Zhao stared at the boy, her thoughts churning.

“What exactly is happening?”

Her emotions had calmed completely.

“They’re going to send me away.”

The boy spoke again, “But I know it’s a lie.”

“In a place like the Shadow District, the law means nothing.”

The boy’s tone carried self-mockery—and coldness.

In his hand, he held a wooden sword.

“The Shadow District of Guangling City is full of filthy things.”

“But today, I’ve realized something.”

There are even more humans dirtier than them.

The boy still did not turn around.

He picked up the wooden sword and walked out.

“Sister.”

“I left you something—it will protect you for one night.”

“Tomorrow, I’ll come back.”

“Wait for me.”

The boy stepped out of the room.

More than a dozen ragged people had been gathered at the door, their eyes filled with malice.

But when they saw the boy, they all turned pale with fear and scattered like birds and beasts.

The boy glanced at them, said nothing, and walked straight out the door.

A few minutes later.

“He really left!?”

“He’s actually been sent away!”

“Great!”

“Go check!”

“He’s really gone!”

Many raised their filthy, stinking hands, pressing against the door crack to peer outside.

When they saw the boy follow the “Director” onto the broken floating vehicle,

the courtyard fell silent.

The next instant.

They erupted in uncontrollable cheers!

Someone immediately turned and headed for the wooden hut, eyes gleaming with lust: “The little girl’s mine now!”

Slap!

A hard palm struck his face!

The man’s cheek swelled, stars danced before his eyes, and he staggered to the ground, kicking up dust.

“Worthless fool, how dare you!”

The tall, muscular boy retracted his hand, spat on the ground, and strode into the room.

The others exchanged glances, hesitating, gathering outside the door, whispering among themselves.

“No rush, no rush.”

“The girl’s right here—she can’t run away.”

“Let him finish first, then it’s our turn.”

“Damn it, he got there first!”

“What can we do? He’s strong—we can’t beat him.”

Inside the wooden hut.

The tall, muscular boy walked toward the bed, staring at the girl—exquisitely carved like jade—and drool dripped from his filthy, stinking lips.

“Damn, she’s so beautiful.”

He stopped at the bedside, gazing at the girl’s pale, exquisite face, unable to suppress a gasp of awe.

The girl lowered her eyelids, her brows and eyes like a painted scroll, her black hair cascading like a waterfall.

Though still young, she already possessed beauty that could shame flowers and sink fish.

“Pity—she’s an idiot.”

The tall, muscular boy sighed, reached out, and touched the girl’s arm.

The next instant.

He suddenly froze, staring at his own hand.

His fingernails were caked with stinking black grime.

Even the creases of his palm held years of accumulated filth.

Right before his eyes,

was the girl’s slender, snow-white fingers, like finely sliced scallions.

In that moment,

the tall, muscular boy’s eyes flickered with struggle and hesitation.

Instantly,

his expression hardened again into cruelty.

“The public care center in the Shadow Zone was always a place where beasts devour humans.”

“Once you’re in here, everyone’s a beast—who’s better than whom?”

Thinking this,

he spat on the ground, his face twisted, and moved closer to the girl.

Jiang Zhao watched him coldly; time seemed to freeze.

Deep within her pupils, shards of silver light surged.

Crack.

A faint, almost inaudible snap echoed beside his ear.

The tall, muscular boy’s body froze in place.

Through twisted features, icy silver flakes oozed out.

Only moments passed.

His entire body shattered into countless streams of light.

Collapsed to the ground, reduced to dust.

Outside the room, the crowd had been peering through the door crack.

Seeing the tall, muscular boy die in a grotesque manner, they all showed fear and dared not approach.

“Is this my childhood memory?”

“Why do I have no recollection of it at all?”

Jiang Zhao sat on the bed, gazing at the people outside, silver light surging in her pupils.

“Jiang Zhao.”

A familiar, cold voice whispered beside her ear.

Light and shadow fragmented; heaven and earth reversed.

Jiang Zhao suddenly opened her eyes.

A clear, beautiful boy who looked exactly like her stood at the bedside, silently watching her.

His gaze was as still as a deep abyss.

Just as it had been ten years ago.

Jiang Zhao stared at him.

Deep within her heart, an inexplicable, overwhelming pain surged forth.

This pain had no origin she could discern.

Nor could she say why it arose.

Yet it was deeply rooted, planted in the core of her soul.

As if it had never left her.

(End of Chapter)