Chapter 390: Tigris

At night, in a side chamber of the City Lord's residence, Luoer lay on the bed, eyes open, staring at the rough wooden beams of the ceiling, unable to sleep.

He turned his head, glanced at the nearby bed where Bei was already sleeping soundly, even snoring faintly, then looked toward the opposite bed where Yu Lin lay quietly.

Moonlight outside the window filtered through the crude shutters, casting a layer of Pure Radiance over Yu Lin's calm profile.

A faint yet genuine sense of parting sorrow quietly rose in Luoer's heart.

He knew that after tomorrow, perhaps for a long while, he would not see this true friend again.

"Yu Lin," Luoer whispered, breaking the night's silence.

"Hm?" Yu Lin replied, his voice clear, evidently still awake.

"When... will you return?" Luoer asked the question that had been circling his mind, his voice tinged with a barely perceptible melancholy.

Yu Lin shrugged slightly in the darkness, his movement causing the bed frame to creak faintly: "I don't know either."

His tone was candid: "After all, it's my first time going to Eden Garden. I have no idea what it's like, what I'll encounter, or how long it will take..."

"Likewise," Luoer nodded, accepting the uncertain answer.

He fell silent for a moment, then whispered a warning: "Then be careful. Though I think... hardly anyone in this world could defeat you."

As he spoke, he felt the words were a bit superfluous, yet he continued: "But I've heard some ancient legends mention that Eden Garden has a guardian! Something called... Archangel Gabriel? Wielding a sword that can launch flames? In short, a formidable figure!"

He strained to recall the vague rumors, his tone turning serious: "If you can't beat it... just run! Come back first, it's not shameful! We... we can figure out another way."

Yu Lin: "............"

Regarding Luoer's advice, which was both caring and a bit "boosting someone else's morale," Yu Lin found it momentarily amusing.

He inhaled gently and changed the subject: "Enough about me."

"What are you going to... do next?"

"Me?" Luoer was taken aback by the question.

Indeed, what to do next? He realized he hadn't really thought about that question.

All along, he had been hustling for survival—guiding routes, serving as a guard, evading danger, seeking opportunities... his life was filled with chaos and uncertainty, leaving little room to plan a "future."

Now, Yu Lin is about to fulfill his incredible mission, and Bei appears to like this place as well—well, this place, and a person, perhaps even...

Luoer's thoughts drifted, and he discovered that deep inside, he felt an unprecedented emotion toward this orderly, tranquil city.

Here there is no endless conflict, no constant malice to guard against; people live by labor and mutual aid... Isn't this precisely the "good days" his heart has vaguely yearned for, yet never dared truly imagine?

He pondered for a long time, long enough that the moonlight outside had shifted slightly.

Finally, he broke into a grin, revealing a relieved and hopeful smile in the darkness.

"I will stay here." Luoer's voice was soft, yet carried a resolute determination:

"Yu Lin, I really like this place. It's... wonderful."

He paused, his tone softening with anticipation: "So, I'll wait for you here. When you return from Eden Garden, no matter how long it takes, you must come see me and Bei."

"But I hope you don't stay away too long, otherwise... otherwise I'll forget you!"

"But it's okay; if the chance arises... I'll come find you! Maybe someday God will slip up and choose me, who knows? Hahaha."

He made a small joke, trying to dilute the sorrow of parting.

"Hmm," Yu Lin's voice came:

"I will come back to see you."

In his heart he thought: Even if something goes wrong and he ends up in Hell, he can still bring you back; if he's luckier and goes to Heaven... that would be even easier.

Luoer said nothing further, and Yu Lin neither did.

Silence fell over the room again, but this time it lacked the previous heaviness and carried a different nuance.

Amid this increasingly peaceful silence, Yu Lin suddenly spoke again:

"Luoer, do you still remember the warning I gave you before?"

Luoer blinked in the dark and immediately understood what Yu Lin referred to—the admonition about "self‑restraint," "maintaining kindness," and "not being assimilated by the world."

As he chose to stay, confronting an environment starkly different from his past, the warning seemed to gain a more concrete, far‑reaching meaning.

"Hmm, I remember," Luoer replied earnestly.

"Will you keep holding on?"

"I will."

Luoer's answer was without hesitation; it seemed both a promise to Yu Lin and a vow to himself:

"I promise you."

"That's good."

The conversation ended there. Neither spoke again.

Exhaustion finally rose like a tide, sweeping over Luoer's long‑tense nerves.

With his future direction set, an important promise secured, and safety assured, an unprecedented sense of steadiness and relaxation quickly carried him into slumber.

This sleep was incredibly deep and sweet.

It was the most grounded, most comfortable sleep he had had in the past ten‑plus days of wandering, and even in the many years of struggling amid chaos and fear.

No longer needing to worry when the city's conflicts might reach him, nor to watch for neighbors who could turn into vicious wolves at any moment, his body and mind were immersed in a long‑missed, almost luxurious peace.

He thought, if everywhere were like this, it would be perfect.

If he were God, surely... *cough* *cough*, how impolite.

Luoer fell into deep sleep.

The next morning, the sunshine was gentle.

Yu Lin, Luoer, Bei, and Lamai, the four of them, sat around the simple wooden table in the City Lord's residence, sharing a quiet yet abundant breakfast.

The food was prepared from fresh ingredients Luohe had bought early that morning; though simple, it was made with great care.

The meal carried a subtle atmosphere, both a start to a new day and a conclusion to this brief journey together.

Luoer and Bei were somewhat silent, merely eating in silence, their gazes occasionally falling on Yu Lin.

Lamai was urging them to eat.

Until after the meal.

Yu Lin, seeing Luoer and Bei off, left the city, leaving only a sentence drifting in the wind:

"Don't go crying, and about that horse—you ride it first; when I return, I'll claim it back! Farewell........."

In their sight.

The two gradually grew smaller until they vanished.

Instead of taking the usual road, he went straight into the continuous Cangcui Mountains behind the city.

Lamai, extremely familiar with the terrain, led Yu Lin over the ridges, through the deep valleys, marching onward.

The path was difficult, yet for Yu Lin and Lamai it felt as if walking on flat ground.

After roughly half a day, they arrived at a relatively gentle valley.

A broad, gentle river, like a shining jade ribbon, wound its way from the depths of the valley; its water was crystal clear, sparkling under the sun, with a babbling sound full of vibrant life.

Lamai stopped at the riverbank, pointed at the river, and said to Yu Lin:

"This is it. This is the Tigris River, one of the four rivers said to flow out of Eden Garden. It originates from Eden Garden, nourishing the lands along its course."

He turned, facing the mist‑shrouded, layered mountains upstream, his expression solemn:

"You only need to follow this river, go upstream, and continue to its very source, and you will reach... the location of Eden Garden."

Yu Lin gazed at the myth‑laden river before him, the fresh scent of its clear water washing over him, seemingly containing a spirit unlike any mortal water.

He suddenly turned his head, looked at Lamai beside him, and asked a seemingly simple yet core question:

"Have you ever been to Eden Garden?"

Lamai, upon hearing it, was briefly startled, then a modest and calm smile appeared on his face as he shook his head:

"Sorry, I was not chosen by God, so I cannot enter that Holy Garden."

His tone was calm, without regret, only reverence for the Holy boundary.

Yu Lin nodded, indicating his understanding.

"Alright, then, I will go ahead."

"Take care, may... may you have all success."

Lamai bowed slightly, offering his blessing.

Yu Lin said no more, walking along the bank toward the upstream mist, moving slowly forward.

His silhouette grew smaller in Lamai's view, merging with the vast mountain hues and flowing water, his steps light and leisurely, as if he were heading not to a Holy Land but on a simple outing.

Lamai stood where he was, watching the figure walk farther until it became a tiny black dot on the horizon, completely vanishing at the junction of distant mountains and mist.

Only at this moment did a strange feeling rise late yet clearly in Lamai's heart.

It was not merely the sentiment of seeing off a Divine Favored, but a deeper, ineffable experience.

For example—Holy itself.

A lingering echo that brushed past, even briefly walked with "Holy", like the mist of the Tigris River, silently permeating his mind.

He stood by the river, unmoving for a long while, allowing this unprecedented feeling to settle and spread within his heart.