Chapter 946: Day Eight Departure (22)

Hermione slapped his hand open, speaking seriously: "Wanweike is indeed a person, that's correct. But have you noticed that from the start the heavenly ring above Xingqiri's head disappeared?"

Upon hearing that, Luo En suddenly realized that, compared with other members of the Heavenly Ring clan, the heavenly ring on Xingqiri's head was indeed gone.

But the problem is—

"What does this have to do with Wanweike?"

Luo En looked at Ha Li, then at Hermione; the two wore expressions that said "We get it," which only made him feel out of place.

"What have you both guessed?" his tone carried a sense of being excluded, "Can you explain it more clearly?"

Hermione gave him a glance, a slight curve at the corner of her mouth: "It's simple. Do you remember during the Pinokangni Holy Grail War when Zhigengniao was broken into fragments? If I recall correctly, her heavenly ring was stripped away, giving her a 'side' of Miss Zhigengniao, but unlike Wanweike, she didn't have a human form."

"Put more directly—Zhigengniao, Tingyun, and Xingqiri are currently undergoing similar experiences. This Wanweike is just a part of Xingqiri."

"You mean… a duplicate?"

"That's about right," Hermione nodded.

"Impossible!" Luo En shook his head like a rattle drum, "Didn't Wanweike get picked up by Xingqiri from outside? He said so himself! He is Wanweike's benefactor! And he even gave him a position in the family! If Wanweike is a part of Xingqiri, wouldn't that mean he picked himself up? Moreover, Wanweike is clearly an independent person!"

"Exactly," Hermione nodded, "That's also the part that still puzzles me. I don't know how Xingqiri managed it, but Mr. Wa Erte saying 'There's no third person here' must be denying Wanweike's existence. Wanweike is probably the indulgent, sentimental side Xingqiri shows toward his sister."

——

"I told you they'd be discovered," Wanweike said, sounding very carefree.

"As expected, nothing escapes your keen eyes. Since you've already seen through Wanweike's secret, I need not lay any groundwork. Let's go—straight to the point, and put the final period on this farewell."

……

The three's next stop was the theater venue, also the starting point where he once attempted to become a god.

Although there were no other family members here, Wa Erte couldn't help admiring Xingqiri's audacity: "Even if you can conceal your appearance, trespassing into the family's forbidden grounds is still rather bold."

"Don't worry, it won't take long," Xingqiri said, gazing from afar at the golden light emanating from behind the stage curtain. "The first time I came to the grand theater I was a child. Looking from here, I was drawn to the light behind the curtain, convinced it was the beacon that guides the land of dreams."

"But many years later, when I returned here as the head of the Oak family, I learned that the light's source was the Star Core."

"What do you intend to do on this return to the stage?" Wa Erte asked.

"To set out," Xingqiri turned his head to look at him, "I've always believed that a person's starting point should be his endpoint."

"Have you ever seen an elderly person at the moment of death? When life reaches its end, they often raise both hands, reaching toward the void, just as a newborn cries out upon falling to the ground, its initial posture also raises both arms."

"At birth, and at the moment of return, humanity spreads its wings twice, soaring at the beginning and end of the journey. To be able to spread its wings again…"

Wanweike understood intuitively, gently closed his eyes, and when he opened them again, he had become Xingqiri's appearance—though it was his Oak family head's look, with a crisp suit and neat accessories.

Wanweike looked down at his exquisite attire, curled his lip: "Sigh, I really hate this face; it feels like I can't even form an expression."

Wa Erte: "I see, that's why your appearance has always been a bit subtle. Since we reunited, that symbolic harmonious heavenly ring has never appeared above your head."

"Indeed, that ring is a divine gift to the species, but it is not necessarily indestructible. At the starting point of entering the dream, on the corridor of thoughts, I chose to completely strip away my own heavenly ring."

——

Dragon clan.

"I told you, this guy is a Shajin‑like madman," Kaisa said admiringly, nodding. "He actually dismantled the original components of his own birth; that's truly something he could pull off."

"But if he doesn't remove the heavenly ring, he'd walk openly on Pinokangni's main street and would likely be spotted by hounds," Chu Zihang said expressionlessly. "Another point, based on my observation, Xingqiri has a very typical 'atonement personality.' His conscience tells him he must pay for his mistakes, otherwise he has no right to be forgiven; stripping the heavenly ring feels like performing an ancient nose‑cutting punishment on himself."

"Nose‑cutting punishment?" Kaisa was hearing it for the first time.

"It's a punishment that cuts off the nose," Chu Zihang explained. "The biggest feature of the nose‑cutting punishment is that it permanently alters a convict's appearance, causing lasting injury. I speculate that for the Heavenly Ring clan, stripping the heavenly ring is like cutting off a convict's nose. For Xingqiri, besides the second purpose of escaping disaster, it's to warn himself through this bodily harm."

Kaisa inhaled sharply as he listened: "But wouldn't that be a bit too heavy? Can it be reinstalled?"

Chu Zihang shook his head: "I don't know, but if stripping the heavenly ring eases his mind, it's not entirely unreasonable. Through self‑punishment, he can regain a sense of control—'It's me handling myself, not fate handling me.'"

——

"Why do this?"

"After all, I'm a fugitive, so I must cut off any possibility of being sensed by the family," Xingqiri paused. "Another reason is for the pain… like a broken wing falling to the ground, it will surely bring me a clear, waking pain."

"Thus, I can discard all blessings of harmony and order, and for the first time in my life, step into this beautiful dream as a mortal."

Wa Erte stared incredulously at the other identical Xingqiri: "So Mr. Wanweike was also born because of this?"

Wanweike let out a light laugh: "Hmph, you might not even believe what he says. His birth stemmed from an accident, and you are intimately familiar with it…"

Xingqiri, a bit embarrassed, scratched his face and said, "It's a bit awkward to mention, it's the 'Don't Laugh Challenge'."