Chapter 44: “I Love You.”
Zhu Hui shook his head.
In the rumors he knew about Xu Xunyue, there was nothing.
Unless the target was clear and one was confident, no one would generally enter the depths of a cataclysm zone, a place of near-certain death.
If Xu Xunyue had been to such a distant, dangerous, and wonderful place during his service and had returned in one piece, he would naturally have been extensively promoted by the relevant departments to inspire the citizens of the Empire who had been numbed by the Cataclysm.
If it were a top-secret mission, it was indeed possible that he didn’t know, but the chances of that were actually very small.
He was now also the Chief Sentinel of the Empire, and Qiu Ye was the previous Chief Sentinel. He and Qiu Ye had never heard any news about this underwater city before, which meant that it was probably the first time it had been discovered by humans after the Cataclysm.
Even three years ago, the off-site mission that had caused Xu Xunyue to “have an accident”—of course, it was probably just a pretense now—the entrance to that mission was not the Endless Snow, but was thousands of kilometers away from it.
He held Xu Xunyue’s hand and wrote on his palm:
Not sure.
After the mental link was established, the Guide could use it to read the Sentinel’s emotions and thoughts and issue commands to the Sentinel, while the Sentinel could receive information from the Guide, but could not express himself as accurately as the Guide through the link.
Although it was inefficient, Zhu Hui still chose the method of writing on his palm.
And his brother’s hand was very comfortable to write on.
He continued to write:
Could it be a place where you used to live?
Xu Xunyue pondered for a moment. Because his memory was incomplete, he couldn’t come to a definite conclusion.
Suddenly, a strange, distant voice, its gender indistinguishable, sounded.
[Come, use your spiritual power.]
[You’ve arrived at a new place. Use your spiritual power to possess it.]
[Just like how you put your spiritual mark on the snowfield on the shore.]
[This place gives you a sense of familiarity. You actually like it here in your heart.]
[This place is suitable to be your nest. If you possess it, you can stay here forever and do whatever you want.]
It was the jumbled voices in his brain, like many people whispering in his ear.
That instinct to spread his spiritual power and take root in the ground, to completely control the area, had appeared again.
Xu Xunyue’s eyes darkened very slightly.
But he did not simply and crudely occupy the land under his feet as he had when he first “awakened.” Instead, he turned his head slightly to look at Zhu Hui.
Zhu Hui met his gaze with some confusion, then his expression changed.
—Brother.
—Your eyes.
—What’s wrong with you?
He was so nervous that he couldn’t even bother to write on Xu Xunyue’s palm, but through lip-reading, Xu Xunyue could read what those thin lips were silently saying.
Xu Xunyue looked around and used the mental link to convey his meaning to Zhu Hui:
[I’m fine.]
[Let’s leave here first and go to a more secluded place.]
They were standing at a crossroads in the city center. Not far away stood a series of high-tech buildings. Looking at the height, the tallest one was the hundred-meter-high building ruin he had seen when he was looking down at the ruins before.
It was just that now it was brand new. The side of the building facing the road was even playing things like the day’s news.
And on the screen of the building now was this piece of news:
“…At 2:37 in the afternoon, our city’s dedicated aircraft carrying a total of one hundred and ninety-eight newly awakened teenagers departed for the Imperial Capital…”
Passersby were holding umbrellas to shield themselves from the sun. Some were in a hurry, others were leisurely. Occasionally, a few would look up at the news playing on the building and then lower their heads with a calm expression.
It looked extremely normal.
But who knew what these “pedestrians” were?
There were no laws of nature in a cataclysm zone. A mirage was already a good thing. The fear was that the seemingly normal humans were actually cataclysmic beings in disguise.
The cataclysmic beings transformed from humans were the most autonomous cataclysmic creatures, but their intelligence levels were not consistent.
Most of them were brutal, bloodthirsty, and loved to kill. This was also the type most commonly seen on the outskirts of a cataclysm zone. But experienced warriors knew that the further in you went, the more likely you were to see different creatures.
A small number of them were strange and had their own set of rules. There was also a handful that were like shadows of the old era. Their souls had long since vanished, but their shells lived in the tracks of the past, day after day.
If one were to violate their rules, break their tracks… what kind of scene would one see?
No matter what the scene, the outcome would not be good.
The crossroads was too crowded and lively. They had to leave here first.
Holding Zhu Hui’s hand, they crossed the road and walked onto a side path.
Here, a sweetgum tree was planted every few meters. Perhaps the season had not yet arrived, so the leaves of the sweetgum trees had not turned red.
Zhu Hui was quietly led by him, not asking where they were going, nor asking if Xu Xunyue had any ideas.
Compared to these, he was more concerned about the other’s state. It had been hard enough to bring him back a little. He absolutely could not let his brother become like that again.
But it was fine. His brother said he was fine, and it seemed he really was fine.
Zhu Hui could sense that Xu Xunyue was deliberately avoiding the “locals,” going wherever there were fewer people, and taking a detour in the opposite direction whenever someone came over, not getting close to them at all.
Zhu Hui himself also felt that there was definitely something wrong with these “locals.” In a Sentinel’s sharp perception, their presence was much smaller than that of normal humans.
In addition, the flow of time here was also wrong.
When they entered, the sun was high in the sky. No matter what, it was afternoon. But after walking for a while, the sky quickly darkened, and the sun disappeared. It was estimated that the moon would come out in a little while.
Only the path of sweetgum trees remained unchanged. It existed in every corner of this city’s phantom, and it also watched the city’s sunrise and sunset, its prosperity and decline.
As they were about to pass a small alley, Zhu Hui suddenly stopped, and his other hand, which was not being held, blocked Xu Xunyue.
Xu Xunyue’s footsteps paused.
“Sigh, honey, what do you call this? Those drag-racing kids are too crazy. It seems they’re having another event tonight. Now we, whose houses are on the street, won’t be able to sleep at night again.”
“Yeah. Speaking of which, wasn’t there someone who made the local headlines for drag racing a while ago? The scene of the car accident was even played on a loop on the screen of the city center building.”
A middle-aged man and woman in short-sleeved shirts and long pants, with ordinary appearances, walked out of the alley. They didn’t turn onto the side path, but walked further and further away toward the main road.
But the moment they appeared from the alley, they were only a meter away from Xu Xunyue and Zhu Hui.
Xu Xunyue’s gaze followed the middle-aged couple for a while.
He was sure that these two people had appeared suddenly.
The moment they appeared, they walked out of the alley and started their daily chat at the same time.
After his memory had loosened, his perception had slightly decreased, and he had not been tempted by that voice to use his spiritual power to occupy this underwater city. His understanding of every corner here was not as omniscient as it was for the snowfield by the sea.
It was still the Sentinel’s sharp five senses that had played a role at this time, avoiding a possible conflict.
The two middle-aged people had not noticed the outsiders at all. They walked away with their backs to them, still immersed in their evening stroll and chat.
“I heard that someone on the next street was injured by those people drag racing at night. That’s really bad luck!”
“How can people be so different? Isn’t today the day the newly awakened go to the Imperial Capital? They’re all teenagers. Some go to the Imperial Capital to study, and some just disturb the public here every day.”
“But these drag racers are also young. Maybe they’ll suddenly awaken one day…”
Exchanging a look with Zhu Hui, the two of them continued to walk along the side path, but they were both more cautious and meticulous.
Xu Xunyue hadn’t chosen this path randomly, but if he were to give a precise and 100% certain reason, he didn’t have one.
It was just a faint feeling, neither unpleasant nor malicious, that was guiding him.
They walked further and further, and there were fewer and fewer pedestrians around.
As time passed, the moon appeared, and the night became darker.
According to common sense, the surroundings should be getting quieter and quieter, but at this moment, the noise of modified motorcycle engines and horns sounded in the night.
It came from behind, getting louder and closer.
Looking back, countless colorful motorcycle headlights, which had appeared out of nowhere, were rushing toward them.
Both of them reacted very quickly. Using the position of the lights and the estimated speed of the motorcycles, they estimated the route of the drag-racing ghosts and almost instantly stood in a place where the convoy could not possibly pass, observing while continuing to move.
The modified convoy got closer.
The lead car was the first to pass their position’s horizontal line.
The second car also passed.
Then the third, fourth, fifth…
Until only the last two were left.
Xu Xunyue had a bad feeling.
The next second.
An extremely sharp screeching sound was heard, followed by a loud “bang,” accompanied by the painful cry of a drag-racing youth. The second-to-last car drifted to the left without any warning and crashed into the last car.
The second-to-last car fell, and the last car and the person on it were sent flying.
“What’s going on?”
“Are you alright, bro!”
“No, how did you fall? Can you even drive!”
The people in the front of the convoy all turned their heads.
Zhu Hui pulled Xu Xunyue and dodged the owner of the flying car, who was crashing toward them in a strange parabola.
Xu Xunyue pulled Zhu Hui again, pulling him behind him, to avoid the modified car that was strangely swinging toward them after losing its owner.
Clatter.
The whole scene went quiet.
The youths who had been clamoring and turning their cars around, preparing to see how their injured brother was, suddenly stiffened and looked up in unison, their gazes shifting from their brother on the ground to the two standing people.
Xu Xunyue shifted his gaze from the motorcycle part that had bounced to the tip of his shoe because of the car falling to the ground, and met their eyes.
The lead youth was about to step forward.
“Who are you—huh, what was I just doing? Oh right, is my brother alright?”
Xu Xunyue withdrew his gaze and pulled Zhu Hui, calmly walking out of the encirclement that the convoy had not yet had time to form.
They walked very quickly, and also very carefully, not stepping on anything, not making a sound.
They were about to walk out completely.
Suddenly, Xu Xunyue felt a fluctuation of spiritual power.
It was that creature.
The third time.
“Wait, how are there two people here?”
The wooden and sinister voice of the drag-racing youth sounded from behind.
Without even needing to exchange a glance, Xu Xunyue pulled Zhu Hui and started to run.
“They’re running!”
“Stop!”
“Catch them!”
The motorcycle engines were started again, and the drag-racing youths inexplicably began to chase after them.
Xu Xunyue used the mental link to quickly transmit information to Zhu Hui.
[There’s another creature interfering here with its spiritual power.]
[You don’t have to worry about it. Just listen to my instructions. Don’t split up and get separated from me.]
Their speed was increased to the extreme, and the surrounding scenery became a blur of afterimages.
They had already reached a relatively remote place when they encountered the drag-racing team. Now, there were even fewer streetlights on the side of the road, making the environment even more dark and terrifying.
The sharp noise from the motorcycles was like a fierce ghost demanding their lives. If they were to turn around now, they would find that the road and the green belt that the convoy had passed had changed.
From brand new and clean, it had become rotten and smelly. The motorcycle wheels rolled over, splashing up soft and rotten mud.
And the young, immature faces of the drag-racing youths had also become blurry at some point. Their bodies on the cars were shrouded in a layer of black mist, and their expressions and movements could no longer be clearly seen.
Xu Xunyue was attacking the spiritual power that had suddenly appeared and caused trouble, while not stopping his feet. But he only ran like this for a few seconds before he realized something was wrong.
His running speed was slower than Zhu Hui’s. Zhu Hui was accommodating his speed.
Zhu Hui, who was being pulled by him, had obviously also realized this problem. At this time, he couldn’t be bothered to keep quiet. He ran and said, out of breath,
“Brother, should I carry you? Or should I go and lure them away…”
[No need.]
[Keep running. I’ll show you the way.]
Before the words in his mind had finished, Zhu Hui watched as Xu Xunyue disappeared from beside him.
[Don’t panic. I’m in your shadow.]
[Don’t let your shadow be touched by the people here.]
“Okay.”
Xu Xunyue continued to attack the spiritual power, at the same time paying attention to the surrounding environment and showing Zhu Hui the way at every intersection.
Under his guidance, Zhu Hui ran through a park, a hot spring base, and three sweetgum tree avenues, finally arriving at a residential area.
The drag-racing youths were still in hot pursuit, but the speed of their modified motorcycles was not as fast as Zhu Hui’s explosive running speed. After a long time, they were left far behind.
But it was also impossible to let Zhu Hui keep running like this. People would always get tired.
Zhu Hui hadn’t rested much since entering the cataclysm zone. It would be better to find a hidden place and take a short rest.
That spiritual power had already shown signs of retreating, but Xu Xunyue was particularly angry this time. Not to mention letting it go, he was even on the verge of using this to pull over the entire spiritual source of the other side and severely injure it.
[Turn left, turn right, go straight for a hundred meters, turn right… climb through the window and into the house.]
At the same time, the unknown creature that had been hiding and using sinister tricks mercilessly, directly cut off all the spiritual power that Xu Xunyue had grasped.
Zhu Hui opened the unlocked window a few times and silently climbed into a dark room.
Xu Xunyue freed his hands to use his spiritual power, once again interfering with the convoy chasing from a distance and making them stop in place.
“Th-that, what are we doing here?”
“This doesn’t seem to be the route brother planned before?”
“Boss, we’re missing two people from the team!”
Amidst the youths’ gradually recovering, human-like shouts, the black mist on their bodies quietly dispersed.
The crisis was averted.
However, in the dark room that had been visited by two uninvited guests, a change occurred.
Zhu Hui shook Xu Xunyue’s arm. He didn’t dare to make a sound, nor did he dare to shake him too hard and hurt him. He could only carefully observe Xu Xunyue’s expression in the darkness.
Just now, when the other had reappeared from the shadow state, the expression on his face had suddenly frozen, and the color of his eyes had also begun to flicker.
He felt that his brother didn’t seem to be feeling well. He felt that his brother had a headache again.
Zhu Hui stared at those eyes.
Finally, he was hugged by the other.
Brother…?
“I remember,” Xu Xunyue suddenly said directly.
Zhu Hui stared blankly at those eyes, which had returned to their ice-blue color.
Xu Xunyue held the Sentinel in his arms tightly, feeling that his heart was beating abnormally fast. He knew that his face must look very bad right now.
He wanted to cry and laugh at the same time, so he couldn’t make any expression.
He was happy and sad at the same time, so no feeling was clear.
He looked down at the still-dazed Zhu Hui and suddenly reached out to touch those thin lips.
“You can talk now. I’ve turned on the mental interference. Say a few words for me.”
Zhu Hui was still a little dazed.
Brother remembers. He should have been greatly surprised, but the situation now is clearly a little wrong.
“Brother?” he asked tentatively. “What happened? Brother, you look so pale. Are you feeling unwell?”
“I’m fine. Don’t talk about me. Talk about yourself.”
“Me…?”
Zhu Hui was even more dazed.
He paused and mulled over his words:
“I, I… I’m not injured. I’m in a good state now… I will never leave you. I will always protect you.”
He stumbled a little at first, but soon, he found his rhythm for saying sweet nothings. He was very good at confessing to his brother.
“I am your Sentinel, your partner. I will listen to you. My entire being belongs to you.”
Having said this, it seemed that all words of love came out naturally. He paused and said solemnly.
“I, I love you, brother. I love you.”
“…Me too,” Xu Xunyue suddenly kissed him. “Sweetie, I love you too.”
Temporarily not looking around, he said to Zhu Hui in a low voice:
“This is my childhood home. This is my childhood bedroom.”
