Chapter 104: Previous Life

Night fell, the stars twinkled, and the Red-clothed Devil had already been hung by the World Tree for three days.

The stars hanging in the night sky blinked their eyes, as if timing something.

A naked woman slept beside the king; when the king turned over, there was a slap. The woman woke up, looked at the king, then took his hand and placed it between her thighs.

The woman glanced at the sleeping king, quietly rose, opened the door, faced the moonlight, remembered her former lover, closed her eyes, and began to pray for him. She thought, that person must be married by now.

The king slept on, and the woman soon returned to the bed.

Endless darkness and the abyss stared at each other; the Red-clothed Devil desperately wanted to leave, but having become a sacrifice, she now recalled the desire that once belonged to her.

It turned out that side was carnal desire, also the fire of self‑immolating desire; now he wished to be swallowed by that flame rather than hang in this abyss.

He gradually grew weak, then realized: some things others can do, you may not be able to.

But it was already over; he was about to be absorbed by that so‑called World Tree and turned into nutrients.

The red robe stained with blood gradually, due to the branches binding it, began to struggle, slowly turning the clothing into rags.

He himself seemed to have found his former likeness; there was a figure identical to him watching him, the two locked eyes, and at that moment the abyss gained light.

The figure identical to him approached, missing one arm, wearing the same red robe with an empty right sleeve, stood before the Red‑clothed Devil and asked, "Are you another me?"

The Red‑clothed Devil lifted his head, looked at the identical figure, feeling displeased, yet his body slowly turned into white smoke and began to fade.

"You still came." The Red‑clothed Devil, unwilling, still showed a smile.

"Yeah, I've come; this is the last time I'll see you, my right hand." That person laughed, watching the Red‑clothed Devil turn into white smoke and slowly return to his own body.

After the smoke dissipated, the Red‑clothed Devil became an arm that fell into the abyss.

Watching that arm fall into the abyss, the person sighed and said, "So this is what I lost—his hatred of the gods?"

At that moment he understood: when his arm had been severed, Fenrir's giant jaws had not swallowed it; instead, as the sword was thrust into the giant wolf's mouth, it fell into the Poison River Waen.

Yet at that very moment the arm accepted Fenrir's fear and the gods' mockery; after who knows how many years, seven nations arose, Fenrir's drool ceased to fall, and then a white‑clad figure appeared.

As time passed and the continent split, he experienced killing and heard the desperate cries of those being dismembered, which gave him pleasure.

The white garments gradually turned red, becoming blood‑stained clothes; it was then that he arrived in Li State and offered execution methods for bandits.

The bandit's dying agony, despair, and struggle were undoubtedly heavenly music to his ears; thus the people of Li State, according to their impression of him, gave him the nickname Red‑clothed Devil.

He accepted these things calmly.

He seemed to see the story of his own arm, sighed, and said to the abyss, "So this is you, Tyr—you are truly worthless." The words sounded as if addressed to the Red‑clothed Devil, or as a soliloquy.

He looked toward the abyss again; at this point the Red‑clothed Devil, or rather his right arm, had completely vanished.

And he? He was about to disappear as well.

"Twilight of the gods—what an unforgettable experience! Hel, the feeling of being torn apart by hellhounds is truly awful." Tyr muttered to himself, his eyes still fixed on the depths below.

The Red‑clothed Devil seemed to have vanished without a trace……

Feng Yan and Chen Hao stood on the city wall, watching the sky slowly darken, when Chen Hao suddenly spoke: "Won't you go take a look?"

"What?" Feng Yan asked, puzzled.

"The so‑called girl you like." Chen Hao gave a lewd laugh, then said to Feng Yan.

After this exchange, Feng Yan, unable to withstand Chen Hao's provocation, ended up before Lin Xiyan.

But Feng Yan, standing before Lin Xiyan, had no idea what to say—love? hate? or just idle chatter? After pondering long, he reluctantly told Lin Xiyan, "I've come."

Lin Xiyan nodded, counting it as a reply.

Feng Yan didn't know what to say; in an instant the atmosphere became excruciatingly awkward as they stared at each other for a long time.

Chen Hao and Jin Meng watched from below, more anxious than Feng Yan; all one heard Chen Hao say was: "Ah, this Feng Yan—does he not know how pretty she is, or has he just not noticed after looking so long? He's a wooden block—how should I describe him? Single by merit? Or hanged from a tree?"

Listening to Chen Hao's complaint, Jin Meng remained relatively quiet; he calmly watched, listened to the frogs around, and softly said, "Perhaps it's the hurt he once suffered."

Chen Hao fell silent, recalling his own…

Yet Feng Yan still said nothing; Lin Xiyan kept looking at him, having given him many hints, all of which were rejected, or rather he simply wouldn't take up the topic.

This made Lin Xiyan feel strange, and also made her feel that this classmate—or friend—who had grown up with her gained an air of mystery.

Yet she still said, "I'll prepare good wine and wait for you to tell me your story."

Feng Yan nodded, then left; she watched his retreating back slowly depart, and the two, in tacit understanding, each glanced back—only to find their relationship was a subtle one.

Feng Yan still didn't speak, Lin Xiyan still didn't ask—those stories of his, those of her suitors.

Yet their respective hints had already indicated everything.

Feng Yan came downstairs, glanced at Chen Hao, his eyes vacant, and asked, "How much longer do we have?"

"Not long, I suppose." Chen Hao replied, then looked at the dwarves, who were already carrying that iron rod, slowly approaching.

"Sir, here's what you wanted!" The dwarves lifted the iron rod together; Chen Hao took it and knew at once it wasn't junk.

The black iron rod, after being reforged by the dwarves, looked exquisitely fine; its pure blackness slowly acquired a subtle flow, as if it possessed a strange power—though not strong, it was reassuring.

"Well then, get ready—we're about to begin!" Chen Hao shouted.

The dwarves echoed in unison, their voices shaking the heavens!

Meanwhile, the World Tree's roots were slowly being gnawed, about to be ruined……

Li State's soldiers thought the dwarves had been wiped out; their guard brought news that the dwarves were completely destroyed……

Though no details were given, they were already utterly finished.

The soldiers relaxed; the king was also sound asleep, the woman beside him, sharing the bed but having different dreams.

The bounty hunters remained still, while other soldiers gradually grew proud—yet they did not know that……

The dwarves, meanwhile, were already moving in secret……