Chapter 1227: Slumber

Slumber

Chen Ling looked at the tattered stone shovel in his hand, then looked at Sun Bumian whose vitality was gradually dissipating. An indescribable sorrow welled up in his heart.

He knew clearly that Sun Bumian wouldn't truly die, he was just entering a slumber, and in some future era, they would meet again... But at this very moment, the loneliness and desolation in Sun Bumian's eyes made Chen Ling's heart tremble.

Sun Bumian had never treated any of his lifetimes casually just because he could reincarnate. Every one of his lives was serious and exquisite. He wanted to eat the most delicious food of this era, wanted to witness the happiness and prayers of this era, wanted to use gold to leave his marks in every era... When he fell into slumber, everyone he knew in this life would leave him by the time he woke up next, and the traces of his existence would also disappear along with it, thereby turning into an ethereal legend.

When Chen Ling saw Sun Bumian's eyes, he realized that for Sun Bumian, this had never been "slumber," but true "death."

He didn't want to slumber, didn't want to die, didn't want to bid farewell to everything in this era.

But he was already dying...

"What kind of look is that?" Sun Bumian forced a relaxed smile. "What, isn't our reunion just a matter of an instant for you? Why are you acting like we're parting forever..."

Sun Bumian was right. As long as Chen Ling left the Save Point, he could immediately see Sun Bumian again... Reunion for him was a breeze.

Chen Ling suddenly felt that he was like a cunning cheater. He could easily transmigrate between two eras with the help of the Timeline Save File. But for Sun Bumian, Yang Xiao, Lu Xun... for every person situated within it, who knew how much pain and hardship they had to cross to meet again.

Chen Ling didn't answer Sun Bumian. He just silently gripped the stone shovel tightly and deeply plunged it into the soil...

Then he tossed the heavy dust aside.

Dust flew in the air. Sun Bumian just sat quietly in the ruins like this, watching the red-clothed figure busy digging a grave for him in the deep pit, not knowing what he was thinking about.

The air raid sirens and the roar of fighter jets echoed overhead.

The two Thespians said not a word.

"That's about right."

After an unknown amount of time, Sun Bumian slowly stood up.

He gestured the size of the deep pit, then measured his own height. "This is fine. I'll lie in, and you bury me."

"Is just burying you directly okay?"

"Just burying is fine."

Sun Bumian raised his hands for the last time and lazily stretched, loosening his muscles and bones. Then, hugging his treasured Awakened Lion Head-dress, he walked into the deep pit bit by bit.

The pit Chen Ling dug was very deep, so deep that even with Sun Bumian standing in it, his head didn't stick out. He solemnly placed the Awakened Lion Head-dress aside, then took off his small Round Sunglasses. He lay flat on the soil, his hands folded across his chest like a well-behaved youth sleeping, slowly closed his eyes, about to fall asleep.

Standing by the edge of the deep pit, Chen Ling took one last look at Sun Bumian, then handful by handful, filled the freshly dug soil back into the deep pit.

The loess gradually submerged Sun Bumian's sunglasses, then his body, and finally the exquisitely carved Awakened Lion Head-dress... Chen Ling's movements were very light, and he was ready to stop at any time. But from beginning to end, Sun Bumian said not a word, letting himself be deeply buried underground, as if he had truly fallen asleep.

When Chen Ling filled in the last handful of earth, the world once again fell into dead silence. The Great Crimson Theatrical Robe stood atop the flattened grave, the theatrical robe dancing lightly in the wind...

After an unknown amount of time,

Chen Ling let out a long sigh...

Just as he was about to turn and leave, a muffled voice suddenly came from beneath the soil:

"Chen Ling."

Chen Ling blanked out. "What is it?"

"I can't sleep."

"..."

Chen Ling looked at the flattened grave with a weird expression and asked again, "You can't sleep? Then what should we do? Should I dig you back out?"

"I want to die amidst Deafening Celebration." Sun Bumian spoke again. "Without the noise of liveliness and happiness, I can't enter slumber... How about you beat a drum for me, strike a gong, or casually perform a show?"

Chen Ling: ...

Chen Ling's mouth twitched slightly. He even started to suspect if Sun Bumian was messing with him. But thinking of Sun Bumian's appearance just now, after hesitating for a moment, he still spoke up:

"Then, I'll sing a play for you?"

"Sure."

Chen Ling cleared his throat. Wearing the Great Crimson Theatrical Robe above the ruins, he began in a clear and resonant voice:

"I urge Your Highness not to let the word 'kill' slip from your mouth; let this old subject recount from the beginning to my lord. Liu Bei is originally a descendant of Prince Jing, a bloodline left from the profound grandson of the Han Emperor..."

This aria of Chen Ling's was the classic segment "Persuading Your Highness" from "The Dragon and Phoenix Bring Prosperity," which told of the grand wedding between Liu Bei and Sun Shangxiang. Since Sun Bumian wanted to fall asleep amidst noise, this segment was undoubtedly a very good choice, cheerful and festive.

Chen Ling's singing skills were naturally excellent. Even without the accompaniment of any musical instruments, he still created a lively and cheerful atmosphere. Moreover, out of fear that Sun Bumian would fall asleep slowly, he completely finished singing the entirety of "Persuading Your Highness" before ending.

After finishing his singing, Chen Ling looked down at the grave soil under his feet and asked probing:

"...Are you asleep?"

"No."

"..."

"No, although you sang very well, I can't feel a bit of festivity... You aren't happy at all in your heart!"

"How can I be happy?? Is this something where I can be happy just by saying so???" Chen Ling was somewhat speechless. He truly felt that Sun Bumian was messing with him, yet he had no evidence.

"I don't care, anyway I can't sleep."

"..."

Chen Ling was just about to say something else when a bout of painful coughing came from underground. Sun Bumian's body had already reached its limit, yet he couldn't fall asleep; all that remained was pain.

Chen Ling swallowed the words he was originally going to say. After pondering for a moment, he cast his gaze toward the Mid-mountain Hotel, an idea surfacing in his mind.

He looked down at the time:

[00:12:02]

[00:12:01]

[00:12:00...]

He stepped straight toward there.

"Cough, cough, cough... Where are you going?" Sun Bumian asked.

"Rest assured." Chen Ling answered calmly. "I will make you fall asleep."

Chen Ling left.

The entire ruins once again fell into dead silence, leaving only Sun Bumian's weak coughing sounds occasionally echoing from underground.

Time ticked by minute by minute, second by second. When Sun Bumian's coughing sounds grew increasingly dense until they almost didn't stop, the faint sound of firecrackers approached from the distance.

Crackle, crackle—!!

The dust and smoke from the firecrackers were like auspicious clouds of the mortal realm, slowly advancing amidst the desolate ruins.

Several figures wearing ill-fitting, cheap formal wear were holding firecrackers high, holding rattle drums, small trumpets, and a bunch of small plastic toys in their hands. They were playfully walking toward here...

Pao Ge held Xiaoyu's hand and walked in the fireworks. Cupping a hand in front of his mouth, he shouted with all his might:

"Big bro!!!"

"We've come to send you off!!!"