Chapter 105: This World, That World

Tianhe year 1261, December 23, at the border of the Key Nation, the Pu Yan nomadic tribe.

The weather gradually turned cold, and the grasses and other plants on the steppe began to wither. To fend off the harsh winter and sustain their livelihood, the nomads on the steppe started to thicken their travel packs, sew winter leather coats, and gather together, hoping to safely get through this winter that seemed more fierce than any other year.

On the steppe, a little girl with two goat‑horn braids and a little boy wrapped in a thick headscarf were marching against the wind. The gale occasionally ruffled their clothes and stung their cheeks, yet they kept a steady stride. Their steps revealed the unique agility and vigor of the nomadic people.

After walking a while, they occasionally looked up, and suddenly their eyes brightened as they saw a solitary nomadic pack standing alone in the distance, now less than a hundred meters away.

"Ya Yisheng, Ya Yisheng, are you there?" As soon as they reached the nomadic pack, the little girl hurriedly lifted the curtain and stuck her head inside.

The nomadic pack had two layers: the outer layer was a pharmacy stocked with freshly gathered and processed herbs, while the inner layer was a simple bedroom.

"Brother, isn't Ya Yisheng here?" the little girl pouted stubbornly, glancing at the pastries she had kept warm in her bosom, her face showing grievance.

The little boy set the baijiu he was holding on the table and hummed, "Always whining, girls are such trouble. Ya Yisheng must have gone out; he'll be back soon enough."

"But the pastries will get cold…"

The little girl's voice faltered as the pack's curtain was lifted, revealing a slender figure slightly bent as it stepped into the pack. The partially opened curtain let in a chill; the boy and girl couldn't help but shiver, and as they looked at the masked youth who had just entered, pure delight shone in their eyes.

"Ya Yisheng, where did you go on such a cold day?" the little girl ran forward, grabbed the youth's hand, intending to warm him, but found that his hand, smoother than the little lambskin she owned and faintly warm, actually made her whole body feel warm.

The youth gave a faint smile, raised his hand to gently brush her wind‑tossed hair, and glanced at the little boy whose eyes shone with admiration, giving a slight nod.

"Ya Yisheng, these are the pastries and hot wine my mother asked us to bring you." The little boy hurried up to the youth, looked up at him, his eyes clear as black crystals, and said, "Ya Yisheng, the techniques you taught me last time were amazing; I knocked down Wei'er and the others in a flash. Ya Yisheng, you live alone in this desolate outskirts, why not come back with us to the tribe?"

"Yes! Yes!" the little girl lifted her flushed face and looked at the youth, pleading, "Ya Yisheng, please go back to the tribe with Min Er; that way, if Min Er gets sick again, we won't have to worry. You can also play outdoors with brother."

The youth chuckled and shook his head, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes, as he took the food from their hands, gave a light nod, then shook his head again. In this approaching snowy winter month, the youth wore only a thin long robe. He lifted his hem slightly and sat down, about to beckon the boy and girl over, when his movement suddenly halted mid‑air.

His sword‑shaped eyebrows, slanting into his temples, furrowed slightly; the youth withdrew his jade‑like hand, his dim black eyes quietly carrying a faint chill as he stared at the pack's curtain.

Soon the curtain rose again, and unlike before, a piercing cold rushed in, causing the two children inside the pack to hunch their necks and clench their teeth.

"Ya Ba Yisheng, get out here!" the newcomer, dressed as an officer, his face covered in stubble, eyes fierce with murderous aura, shouted so loudly the whole pack seemed to tremble, "Come with me quickly!"

The youth lifted his head; the eyebrows beneath his mask relaxed completely, and his expression remained indifferent as he gazed at the newcomer.

The officer blinked slightly, secretly shocked that the youth's calm, indifferent demeanor had frightened him. He turned his head, spat out a mouthful of saliva, and shouted again, "You brat, what are you looking at? I told you to come with me, got it? Delaying General Meng's wound, I'll have your whole tribe buried with you!"

"Bastard! Don't go too—" the youth grabbed the boy with spiky hair, turned back and gave them a gentle smile, then nodded slightly and was the first to step out of the pack.

A cold wind blew across the sky as the youth walked calmly among a dozen soldiers, his pace neither fast nor slow, his expression calm as he glanced at the heavens. He thought: Snow is about to fall…

Before he finished his thought, the exposed skin on his face felt the icy chill; the youth blinked slightly, watching snowflakes drift from small to large, slowly descending. He couldn't help but shake his head with a smile, thinking how truly… a winter trek, water‑like clouds of snow covering his head! Voices of the soldiers ahead reached him; his relaxed expression lingered a moment before returning to its original indifferent calm.

"Lao Jiang! How can the soldiers of Yi Nation be so stubborn? Their ruler has abandoned them, yet they still fight desperately."

"Damn it, you're right! Yesterday we just captured Yueyang City; not to mention the soldiers, even the civilians' resistance terrified our army. How many nations have I conquered before? I've never faced a country so united against us and civilians willing to die!"

"Alas! Zhu Yun, you say that although the crown prince's main force and the Yin Nation's army jointly captured Yinchuan Nation, when it comes to dividing spoils, how much benefit can our Key Nation reap? Let's not let Yin Nation's rabble get it for free!"

"Xing Zi, you all think the battle with Qi Nation was too easy." A youth among the soldiers, who appeared somewhat refined and wise, said gravely, "Did you think King Qi was such an easy man to deal with? In fact, three months ago, King Qi's strategy was already flawless; it's just that the leaders of Yi Nation were never mature enough to respond in time to King Qi's plan, which would have cut the Yin Jiao allied forces in half. Otherwise, the force that is now on the brink of total annihilation would not be Qi Nation, but our two nations, Yin and Jiao."

The youth paused, let out a long sigh, his tone carrying faint admiration, "Yet, even in such a desperate situation, King Qi still found a way out and dealt a heavy blow to the Yin Jiao allied forces, cutting them by a third. Who would have thought he would withdraw his personal guards and the thirty‑thousand armored cavalry, sneak around the Huai River at night to raid Yin Jiao's supplies? And who would have imagined that on that decisive battlefield he would, to deceive the crown prince and King Yin, double the soldiers' hearths and raise double banners, so that we were still cheering victory even after all our provisions were destroyed?"

The crowd, hearing the youth's detailed account, all showed expressions of dawning comprehension and terror, realizing that King Qi truly lived up to being the ruler of the world's most powerful nation.

The youth furrowed his brows, his tone helpless, and continued, "Thus, although the Yin Jiao allied forces have entered Qi Nation's territory, they lack provisions; this harsh winter, with frost‑bitten weather, exhausted troops and horses, the front line keeps stretching, and the situation is truly grim!"

The burly man who came to escort the youth kicked the snow‑soaked barren ground hard, cursing, "Damn it, now General Meng is wounded again on Yi Nation's wind‑blown battlefield, and we have no idea when this war will ever end!"

"Hey! Stinky mute, I'm asking why you're moving so slowly—are you trying to eavesdrop on us?!"

The youth gave him a cold glance and said nothing.

"A mute doctor still dares to be so arrogant—believe it or not, I…"

"Enough, Lao Jiang," a nearby soldier hurriedly grabbed him, soothing, "He's just a mute; even if he heard something, what of it? No need to make a fuss with him. The general's wound still needs him to treat it!"

"Damn it, I just can't stand him; a mute doctor, acting all lofty, always wearing a mask—what's he hiding?" The man called Lao Jiang's eyes flashed cold, and he suddenly shouted, "Hey! You're not a spy, are you? Take off that mask so I can see!"

The people who had been trying to soothe him heard those words and felt a chill in their hearts, each silently thinking that if he truly were a spy, it could endanger the general's life. So they fell silent, waiting for the youth to voluntarily remove his mask.

The youth bowed his head, watching snowflakes brush his thin robe and fall into the ground, his expression calm and serene. Until Lao Jiang's shouted command reached his ears, the surrounding atmosphere gradually solidified; the youth let out a soft sigh in his heart and slowly lifted his head.

His cold, eerie gaze, tinged with a faint smile, swept over everyone before finally resting on Lao Jiang.

"What… what are you looking at?!" Lao Jiang rushed a few steps forward, grabbed the sword‑handle firmly, and roared, "I'm telling you—"

The sound cut off amid the fluttering snow, a faint red streak flowing down Lao Jiang's ash‑gray armor, finally seeping into the dried earth.

The blood‑red light moved with a beautiful yet mournful rhythm, dancing among the falling snow in the howling wind.

Snow fell, the body stayed still, but the wind never ceased.

The youth stood silently in the wind, the breeze lifting his silk‑shiny long hair, brushing his crystal‑clear face, sweeping across his deep blue eyes that were deeper than the sky, quietly, quietly… a breathtaking, graceful figure.

The youth called Zhu Yun, his body drenched in fresh red blood, clutching a shattered silver‑gray mask, stared at the youth with a face full of horror and disbelief.

"Blue eyes… unparalleled… how… how could this be possible?! How could it be you… Yi Nation's youth…?" The youth spat a mouthful of fresh blood, collapsed, life extinguished. Yet his eyes remained wide, filled with terror, unable to close.

The youth glanced indifferently at the broken mask on the ground, took a silver thread from his chest and gathered the scattered hair, then took another intact silver‑gray mask, put it on, and turned away.

20×1 May 3, Shang Huai City.

Just back from the library, the huge house was pitch‑black; I felt odd—by now my dad and brother should be here! I slapped the door, and the mechanical voice issued a command, then the door slowly opened.

I pushed open the living‑room door, intending to grab the remote control hanging on the wall. Suddenly I felt someone inside, about to speak, but only a "snap" sounded, followed by a blinding flash of light.

I blinked, staring dazed at the three‑tiered luxury cake before me, murmuring, "Whose birthday is it today?"

Little Yu, who sat closest to me, burst out laughing, "Bing Yi, you didn't forget your own birthday, did you?"

"Eh? Me?" I stared blankly at my brother, "Is it May 3 today?"

A smile flickered in my brother's eyes as he strode up to me, "Bing'er, happy birthday."

Turns out it's already May 3. I forced a smile, looked at dad, "So dad you just ran out of the hospital? Did Uncle Liu agree?"

Dad shrugged; his normally gentle, elegant face now looked a bit pale and gaunt from recent recovery, yet it didn't affect his composed, unflappable nature.

Dad adjusted his gold‑rimmed glasses, carefully placed the delicate candles on the cake one by one until all were lit, then smiled satisfactorily and lit a cigarette.

Both hands reached forward; my brother coldly snatched the cigarette away and tossed it. I glared at him and said, "Dad, didn't Uncle Liu tell you not to smoke?"

Dad laughed awkwardly, then pulled me to sit down. Sitting with us were my brother's friend Xiao Yu and my and my brother's biological father, Shui Yu Tianze.

The cake was beautiful; I tilted my head to look at the blue‑icing spelling out "Shui Bing Yi"—dad's handwriting.

"Bingyi, make a wish quick!" Xiaoyu urged excitedly.

"Making a wish..." I looked at Dad, then at Brother, and smiled, "Can any wish be made?"

Dad stared at me for a long time, then suddenly broke into a sunshine-like smile. That youth who had appeared before me and my brother in the darkness, wearing wire-rimmed glasses and a warm smile, reached out his hand, sunlight lingering on his fingertips.

Thus we first knew what warmth after cold is, what light after darkness is.

"I hope I can leave, leave you, leave this world." I withdrew my gaze, softly falling on the flickering candlelit cake, and softly spoke my wish: "This is... my nineteenth birthday wish."

The candle wax was tears, burning itself away, falling as bloody tears into the mortal world. I silently gazed at the room's splendor, the house's warmth, voiceless yet begging to leave.

"You fool!" Dad suddenly rose and walked to my side, his big hand reaching out to firmly press my head against his chest, his voice stubborn yet gentle, filled with an unimaginable deep reluctance and affection, "I've been waiting for you to say that!"

I tightly embraced Dad's frail body after the surgery, silently weeping. Dad, Brother, Xiaoyu, Shuiyu Tianze, and... that person I am forced to leave in this world, please be happy, please you must be happy!

At that familiar cliff edge, the sky dim and gloomy, Shuiyu Tianze personally placed the cross necklace on me, whispering: "Having stayed another year, the energy in the Timespace Key is nearly depleted; this journey may very well fail to cross, causing you to fall off the cliff; or perhaps... be swept into the spacetime black hole, never to return."

I sighed, nodded, the wind flapping my white gauze dress. My heart felt a bit embarrassed and bitter; even if the price were death... I never expected, a single word would become a prophecy.

"When the sun rises, you jump down. Then is the moment when spacetime resistance is smallest. Dad... I will use my blood to open a path for you. I hope I can send you safely to that world."

I touched the dimmed cross necklace on my chest, almost hidden, and smiled, "Shuiyu, Father, thank you."

Shuiyu visibly startled, his eyes slightly reddened, after a moment he continued: "This crossing, I cannot predict, nor can I control where or when you will land; perhaps too late, perhaps too early—you must be mentally prepared for all of this."

I lifted my head to see the eastern sky gradually turning crimson, and said lightly: "I understand; everything is my own choice. Having done it, I will not regret, never again will I regret."

"Bingyi..." I lowered my head in surprise, seeing Shuiyu hang a red thread of special material around my neck, my gaze moving to the pendant below—two diamond-set white gold rings. Shuiyu said hoarsely, "I had originally planned to propose to Yunyun..."

"Wasn't it said you can't bring other things..."

He smiled, his gaze toward me full of love and pity and blessings, and said softly: "Dad's gift will naturally let you take it with you. Bingyi, happy birthday. I hope you can personally grasp your happiness in this journey."

I smiled, nodded, turned, and leapt.

Black hair flew, sleeves fluttered. I fell with the wind, hearing none of that melodious song, seeing none of that five-colored splendid light. Yet my heart was calmer, more peaceful than two years ago...

Falling, falling... consciousness gradually drifting away, I slightly lifted the corners of my mouth, slowly closed my eyes, as if I could see that bustling world, those deep blue eyes. Just to be a little closer to you...

Finally, between heaven and earth, a gorgeous five-colored light radiated from my chest, spreading, instantly filling the entire valley.

Yet this light was more brilliant and dazzling than any before, more fiercely radiant than any before, as if it were to burn out all its energy, all its vitality at once.

Shuiyu Tianze stepped forward two steps, raised his right hand, lifted his left, a cold light flashed—already a bloody glow.

"Bingyi, go in peace! Bingye, Xiaoyu, Ling Min, and... Dad will wholeheartedly protect everyone you care about in this world. I, Shuiyu Tianze, swear by the name of the god Moxisi, to guard them, care for them, until the end of life."

"Bang!!" A huge roar accompanied by the valley's blood-red hue spreading, instantly echoing back and forth between heaven and earth, mountains and waters.

As if a spacetime channel had suddenly exploded, as if the elements of space were forcibly twisted, that slender white figure was directly sucked in.

Soaring the boundless sky, heart never satisfied

Traversing the cycles of a thousand years

Why let loneliness linger on my side of the world

How can my longing for you be expressed clearly in thousands of words

I only wish to get drunk once

……

Finally, heaven and earth returned to tranquility, only that scarlet red, that ferocious blood, drop by drop, strand by strand, scattering into the layered mists below the cliff...

(End of chapter)