Chapter 1408: Suffering and the Past

Suffering and the Past

It's hard to imagine what kind of life and experiences could have nurtured a girl as kind as Nangong.

Perhaps before the arrival of 【Faith Game】, she too had a happy home.

For some reason, Cheng Shi suddenly thought of Old Jia, and Nangong, in this atmosphere, also thought of her grandfather.

A look of reminiscence rose in her eyes, and her voice carried a sense of relief after making a major decision:

"I did it. Grandpa would be proud of me, wouldn't he?"

Cheng Shi said nothing. He knew this was Nangong's moment.

Sure enough, before long, Nangong lowered her head toward the ground and murmured:

"When I was little, our family was very poor. Grandpa and Mom both fell ill, and we had no money for treatment. Everything in the house that could be pawned was sold, but it still wasn't enough.

Life became unbearable. Dad still refused to give up. Later... she was freed, leaving only me and Dad to watch over Grandpa and endure each passing day.

Suffering can drive a person mad.

Dad went mad. He got news from somewhere, figured that since life was already this bad, why not go all in and gamble—what could possibly be worse than now?

Death is nothing to fear. What's terrifying is wanting to die, yet being unable to, and not daring to...

So that day, he made up his mind. He sold the only house we had, for 1,223 yuan, took the money and bought three tickets, and brought Grandpa and me south.

He left Grandpa and me at the door, telling us whether we lived or died depended on whether Heaven would take pity on us today.

Then he turned and walked into... the casino."

"?"

Cheng Shi was stunned. He never imagined that being driven mad meant being driven into a casino.

Nangong gave a miserable little laugh:

"Dad won. He won a lot of money. God knows how much—enough to draw several carloads of security guards.

They surrounded the casino so tightly not even water could leak through, confirming the final count.

We were pushed aside. I cried and called for Dad. Grandpa covered my mouth.

But Dad came out soon enough. In the fastest way possible, he jumped from the top floor of that casino and landed right in front of me.

Chips exploded across the floor.

He was dead.

Right before my eyes.

Countless security guards swarmed out and surrounded his body. They said Dad had cheated, refused to admit it, and had even tried to escape by jumping off the building while clutching stolen chips that didn't belong to him...

Jumping off a building to escape. I never imagined life had already driven him to this.

In that moment, my sky collapsed.

And on that same day, my ailing grandfather became my sky.

He told me it was all fate. His fate was bad—he had dragged Dad down. He knew this family was hard to endure, and that he had long wanted to die, but he was afraid his son would lose his father, so he didn't dare die, and couldn't bear to.

Now he couldn't die even more, because I was still so young—a little girl couldn't survive alone in such a big city.

So an old man who had always stayed in bed nursing his illness at home took me with him and we struggled to settle down in an unfamiliar city.

We lived in an alley not far from the casino, barely surviving on the alms gamblers tossed us after winning.

Every day Grandpa would carve characters into the wall, recording the gamblers who had given money. He said gambling is evil, but the human heart leans toward good—one thing at a time. As long as a person lives, one must not forget the hand that reached out to help.

Grandpa didn't know their names, so he could only record their appearance—long windbreakers, yellow shirts, pleated skirts... Over time, the alley walls were filled with writing, and it even became a gimmick the casino used to attract gamblers.

Every gambler passing by the casino would toss Grandpa a little lucky money, hoping for good fortune. It was under these circumstances that our lives became slightly better.

But not by much, because Grandpa was fading fast.

In the days before Grandpa passed away, he met the person who pulled me out of the sea of suffering.

Uncle was also a gambler—a high-roller, in fact.

He often went in and out of that casino, and every time he appeared, someone was assigned to receive him.

One day he saw Grandpa begging for money, so he followed Grandpa and sat with him at the door for a while.

Grandpa was riddled with illness, and through long experience had figured out some self-pain-relieving tricks. That man seemed to have some ailment too, and after learning from Grandpa for a while and finding it useful, he rewarded Grandpa with a chip.

It wasn't until the casino staff came over politely to cash it in that we learned that single chip was worth a hundred thousand—and that those security guards could also be so gracious to people.

That sum was small for a dazzling, money-soaked big city, but for Grandpa and me, alone and helpless, it was a lot—too much, so much it was frightening.

Grandpa was uneasy and wanted to return it, but when he ran into the man again, the man said:

'Even if it were the money your son earned for you before he died, what's there to return about casino money?

Losing isn't scary; not being able to afford to lose is.

It was the casino that was wrong here.'

That was when we learned he had been one of the witnesses that day, that Dad hadn't cheated—he had simply won too much...

Fate truly favored us, but on that same day, it also abandoned us.

Not long after, Uncle won that casino into bankruptcy and 'returned' half the money to Grandpa.

But Grandpa didn't want it, and didn't dare to. He donated all the money, keeping only enough for me to attend school, then sent me off to school and departed this world.

From then on, I 'inherited' everything Grandpa had.

I'm grateful to everyone who has been good to me, and I want to repay everyone who has ever helped me.

No matter how much more suffering comes, I want to follow his words and become someone useful."

Nangong cried.

Suffering had never let her go, but she had already found a way to overcome it.

Cheng Shi's expression gradually softened, and he left silently.

Nangong's strength was enough to protect her fragility. What Nangong needed now was not comfort, but a quiet space to lick her wounds.

After leaving the Torch-Passing Grand Hall, Cheng Shi did not rush to gather those about to ascend; instead, in the final moments while 【Decay】 still remained, he once more offered a prayer to request an audience with 【Decay】.

【Decay】 agreed.

When Cheng Shi's figure appeared before 【Decay】—now reduced to little more than a pile of sand-like withered bones—he heard It leave behind the final 【Decay】 syllables for this world.

"I... am 【Decay】......

Who... are you......"

Cheng Shi said with a complicated expression: "The Sovereign of the Age, the Destination of 【Void】, 【Fraud】."

【Decay】 was like a dying old man; It seemed to have lost the clarity of judgment.

"You... are 【Fraud】......

Why do you carry... My Authority upon you......"

"The world returning to the void is the true curtain's fall. Your Authority rests upon me—you should feel at ease.

【Decay】, things have come to this. I do not wish to judge whether your deeds were right or wrong, but I must tell you: the old age is about to end. If you wish the will of 【Decay】 to still resound in the new age, then leave behind your Authority and Divine Seat, and go.

You have already done enough for 【*It】; it is time to consider the 【Decay】 of the future."

The withered bones gradually dispersed, and the voice grew increasingly hoarse.

"You... are not 【Fraud】......

You are Cheng Shi... a mortal......"

Cheng Shi shook his head, his gaze unreadable:

"I am not a mortal. I am... 【Primordial】.

Trust me, come closer, and I shall grant the will of 【Decay】 continuation, and for the new 【Decay】... vindicate its name."

The moment the words fell, the bones vanished and the sand scattered.

【Decay】 utterly perished.

The black blood of the Septic Blood Final Tomb finally ceased its dripping; they gathered calmly within the lake, as if awaiting the arrival of the next age's patron.

Voting is still ongoing, friends—don't forget to vote today.

Yesterday's segment-comment vote unlocked the character side-story for Dragon King Li Li Jingming; today's segment-comment begins the second character side-story vote, awaiting selection~

Regardless of the outcome, thank you all immensely for your support along the way! A bow~