Inside the space, Lian Qiguang sat barefoot by the lake, a beautiful yet eerie red rose clasped between his fingers. Beside him lay Xiahou Shaoxuan, already unconscious and unable to wake.
Lian Qiguang raised his head and expressionlessly stared at the sky, his eyes narrowing slightly. His dark eyes were as calm as a pool of stagnant water, as though they could not stir even the slightest ripple.
No one knew how much time had passed. When the moisture in his eyes had completely receded, Lian Qiguang slowly withdrew his gaze and looked at Xiahou Shaoxuan beside him.
The time had come…
Lian Qiguang carried Xiahou Shaoxuan out of the space and placed the unconscious man on the bed. With gentle and careful movements, he removed his shoes and covered him with the blanket.
His cold fingers lingered between Xiahou Shaoxuan’s brows. Looking at that resolute, cold face, Lian Qiguang’s heart was filled with endless attachment.
The sky outside had gradually darkened. Lian Qiguang knew there was no more time to wait.
He placed the rose in his hand beside Xiahou Shaoxuan’s pillow, bent down, and lightly kissed his lips. His voice was as soft as a sigh.
“Shaoxuan, wait for me to come back. When I do, we’ll leave together. The universe, the stars, anywhere is fine. As long as you’re with me.”
Lian Qiguang turned off the light in the room. He took one last deep look at the man who loved him more deeply than life itself, closed his eyes, and left resolutely.
The place where Lian Qiguang lived was under the highest security clearance in the military base. Leaving alone without alerting anyone was practically impossible.
However, for Lian Qiguang, this was not something he needed to worry about.
He left the base without obstruction. In an unoccupied corner of the safe zone, Lian Qiguang expressionlessly looked at the dazed Lieutenant General beside him and snapped his fingers, withdrawing the red flower pollen surrounding the man’s body.
Before the Lieutenant General could regain consciousness, Lian Qiguang struck him on the back of the neck with one palm. Using his wood-type ability, he dragged him to a relatively conspicuous location, making sure that if anyone passed by, they would be able to spot him immediately.
After finishing everything, Lian Qiguang tightened the cloak around himself. He did not hurry to leave, instead standing quietly where he was and silently waiting.
The mutated birds gathered in the sky continuously let out sharp cries as they flew past in flocks, their wings making a loud “whoosh” as they blocked the moon overhead and plunged the safe zone into darkness.
With the disaster having erupted, apart from the soldiers on patrol, there were almost no surviving humans to be seen inside the safe zone. Lian Qiguang was not worried about being discovered.
He did not have to wait much longer before a dark figure emerged from the darkness and slowly approached him.
A flock of mutated birds scattered, and the blood-colored moonlight fell upon the newcomer.
The figure was so familiar that Lian Qiguang no longer wanted to call out that name.
Qiu Limao.
Qiu Limao stopped opposite Lian Qiguang. His dark eyes looked indifferently at Lian Qiguang, while the face hidden beneath his high collar concealed features that were extremely familiar to Lian Qiguang.
Lian Qiguang was not particularly surprised by Qiu Limao’s appearance. He stepped forward and calmly walked past him.
“Take me to see him.”
Looking at Lian Qiguang’s cold yet decisive back, Qiu Limao’s eyes darkened slightly. He silently followed.
“Will you kill him?”
After remaining silent for a long time, Qiu Limao suddenly spoke.
Lian Qiguang’s footsteps paused. He raised his head woodenly and looked at the countless mutated birds covering the sky, somewhat lost in thought.
“These birds… aren’t any different from those several decades ago.”
“He said this is the world he’s returning to you.”
“The world he’s returning to me.”
Lian Qiguang lowered his head, a trace of mockery flashing through his eyes.
“He has already severed the last shred of affection between us.”
Qiu Limao looked at Lian Qiguang, his gaze burning.
“You’re the one who forced him to this point.”
“No one forced him. He was the one who refused to let himself go.”
Lian Qiguang lowered his eyes, his voice indifferent.
“If I can, I’ll put an end to it.”
Qiu Limao’s footsteps suddenly stopped. One hand grabbed Lian Qiguang’s arm.
“…”
Lian Qiguang.
“In his heart, you’re his only salvation. Don’t do this.”
Looking at Qiu Limao’s face hidden beneath the shadows, Lian Qiguang remained silent for a long time before indifferently pulling his arm free.
“Let’s go. I think he’s probably already impatient to see me.”
“He, to me…”
Qiu Limao’s sudden words made Lian Qiguang stop.
Qiu Limao looked at Lian Qiguang’s back, then slowly raised his head, revealing his entire face.
“He, to me, is more important than Xiahou Shaoxuan is to you.”
“You have family, friends, and a lover. But I only have him. He is my everything, and my only one.”
“Can you imagine, when my world collapses and is destroyed, where else I could go?”
“Then… go and be destroyed with him.”
“Marshal!!”
A lieutenant colonel hurriedly burst into the conference room, his face filled with panic.
Xiahou Zhong, who had been lying on the table, suddenly pushed himself upright. His eyes were bloodshot. Although his face was filled with exhaustion, there was not the slightest trace of sleepiness left.
“What happened?”
“Marshal, we don’t know why, but just now all the zombies surrounding District One suddenly withdrew. The mutated birds that had been circling above the safe zone also left. Not only that, the network and electricity have completely returned to normal.”
“What!”
Xiahou Zhong was startled and abruptly stood up. His violent movement knocked over the chair behind him, but where did he have the mind to pick it up now?
Xiahou Zhong quickly walked up to the lieutenant colonel, his gaze burning.
“What did you just say?”
“Reporting to the Marshal, the zombies surrounding District One suddenly withdrew, and the mutated birds circling above the safe zone have also dispersed! The crisis has been resolved.”
“How could this happen?”
Xiahou Zhong slightly furrowed his brows and murmured softly.
Those zombies had surrounded District One precisely because they wanted to capture Lian Qiguang. But why had they suddenly…
“Damn it!!”
As though he had thought of something, Xiahou Zhong’s expression changed drastically. He grabbed the coat beside him and hurried out of the conference room.
“Marshal!!”
“Immediately bring a squad and follow me!”
“Yes!!”
Xiahou Zhong led a squad of soldiers toward Xiahou Shaoxuan’s residence at a frantic pace.
His hurried appearance and cold, oppressive aura caused everyone who passed by to move aside, their hearts filled with unease as they wondered whether something had happened again.
Xiahou Zhong brought his people to Xiahou Shaoxuan’s residence. After knocking several times without receiving any response, the expression on his face became even more grim.
Ignoring the astonished people behind him, Xiahou Zhong had no time to find someone to open the door. He immediately gathered his Imperial-level ability and slammed it into the metal door.
With a deafening boom, the reinforced metal door with its protective barrier was blasted open, leaving a huge hole.
For a moment, alarms rang throughout the entire base, even throughout the safe zone, their shrill sound painfully piercing to the ears.
Thinking that an enemy had invaded, the base immediately sounded a Level-One alert. Countless soldiers and robots rushed toward Xiahou Zhong’s location.
Xiahou Zhong blasted open the metal door and stepped into the room.
He saw Xiahou Shaoxuan lying quietly on the bed, deeply unconscious.
He looked around.
There was no sign of Lian Qiguang.
“Marshal! What happened?”
Xiahou Jue arrived with the troops, his expression solemn.
“Go wake Shaoxuan!”
Xiahou Zhong shouted sternly, his eyes glaring furiously as he suppressed the anger in his heart.
Although Xiahou Jue did not understand why Xiahou Zhong was so angry, he still followed the order and walked over to Xiahou Shaoxuan.
However, no matter how much Xiahou Jue called out to him or shook him, Xiahou Shaoxuan showed no sign of waking.
Xiahou Jue was puzzled. His eyes inadvertently fell upon the red rose beside Xiahou Shaoxuan’s pillow.
He reached out and picked up the rose, bringing it to his nose to smell.
A rich, intoxicating floral fragrance rushed toward him. Xiahou Jue’s vision suddenly blurred, and his head became dizzy.
“Not good! There’s something wrong with this flower!!”
Xiahou Jue immediately realized something was wrong. He quickly threw the flower away and released his lightning-type ability, blasting the rose into pieces.
“Marshal!”
Xiahou Jue walked over to Xiahou Zhong and said solemnly,
“Shaoxuan is currently unconscious and won’t wake up.”
“You fool!”
Xiahou Zhong roared. He punched the wall, overcome with grief.
“Marshal…”
Xiahou Zhong naturally knew Xiahou Shaoxuan’s abilities very well. Apart from Lian Qiguang, there was probably no one else on all of Blue Star who could approach Xiahou Shaoxuan without alerting anyone, knock him unconscious, and leave with Lian Qiguang.
Xiahou Zhong understood.
Lian Qiguang must have already learned about the situation outside. He had then knocked Xiahou Shaoxuan unconscious and left alone.
He did not know where Lian Qiguang had gone.
But given the current situation, Lian Qiguang must have gone to find that person.
“You all get the hell out of my way!!”
An arrogant voice came from outside.
Xiahou Luoyu stormed in, with Gui Ling following behind her.
“Old man, explain yourself. Why did those monsters suddenly withdraw?”
Xiahou Luoyu walked up to Xiahou Zhong, suppressing her anger as she glared furiously at him.
“What are you doing here!”
Xiahou Zhong frowned.
“This isn’t somewhere you can come. Go back!”
“Don’t you dare give me that attitude!”
Xiahou Luoyu shoved Xiahou Jue aside when he tried to stop her, then pointed at Xiahou Zhong, trembling with rage.
“I saw the video too. Now that the zombies have withdrawn, did you hand Xiaoguang over?”
“Luoyu! What nonsense are you talking about!”
Xiahou Jue shouted angrily.
“I’m talking nonsense? Fine! Then where is Xiaoguang? Tell me where Xiaoguang is right now!”
Xiahou Luoyu was already furious beyond reason.
Lian Qiguang was the one she had brought back. When Lian Qiguang had originally been taken away, she had sworn to Lian Yucheng’s family that Lian Qiguang would definitely be safe.
The appearance of the video had caused widespread panic throughout the safe zone. Lian Yucheng had demanded that Lian Qiguang be brought back, and she had managed to persuade him otherwise with great difficulty.
But who could have expected that when she woke up this morning, the zombies had suddenly withdrawn?
Anyone could understand what that meant.
Lian Yucheng had collapsed, and Xiahou Luoyu panicked as well.
She understood that this time, she had truly become the villain everyone could blame.
“Luoyu!”
Xiahou Jue glanced at Xiahou Zhong’s ugly expression and grabbed Xiahou Luoyu, pulling her back.
But in the blink of an eye, Gui Ling separated them and firmly protected Xiahou Luoyu in his arms, his blue eyes staring gloomily at Xiahou Jue.
“Luoyu, this has nothing to do with the Marshal. We only just received the news and came to check. We discovered that Shaoxuan was unconscious and Lian Qiguang was missing. You should know very well how powerful Shaoxuan is. Almost no one could knock him unconscious and take Lian Qiguang away without alerting anyone.”
“Shaoxuan!?”
Xiahou Luoyu was startled. She pushed Gui Ling aside and walked over to the bed, carefully examining Xiahou Shaoxuan.
After confirming that he was unharmed, she finally felt somewhat relieved.
Looking at the unconscious Xiahou Shaoxuan, Xiahou Luoyu regained some of her reason. After carefully piecing everything together, she vaguely arrived at an answer.
“Father!”
Xiahou Jue walked over to Xiahou Zhong and spoke solemnly.
This time, he called him Father rather than Marshal.
“What exactly are you hiding?”
Xiahou Zhong raised his head and looked at his eldest son. He opened his mouth, but did not know what to say.
In the end, he could only lower his head dejectedly.
“Father, what exactly is the secret between you and Xiaoguang that you cannot tell anyone? Please tell me the truth!”
Xiahou Jue stood straight and gave a solemn military salute.
Seeing Xiahou Zhong’s hesitation, Xiahou Luoyu’s anger flared even more. She shouted,
“Old man, Xiaoguang’s life or death is unknown right now. What else could you possibly be unable to say?”
Xiahou Zhong scratched his hair, shook his head, and sighed.
“Come with me.”
Xiahou Zhong led them out of the room and turned to instruct his adjutant,
“Clean this place up. Get a doctor to examine Shaoxuan. As for Xiaoguang, keep it hidden if you can. I’m afraid that child Shaoxuan won’t be able to accept it.”
“Old man, do you think you can really keep it hidden?”
Xiahou Luoyu glanced at Xiahou Shaoxuan inside the room and gave a light scoff, covering her eyes with some distress.
“Old man, I was the one who brought him out, and I was the one who handed him over to you. You really screwed me over this time. Now I’m not even allowed through my own family’s door.”
Xiahou Zhong let out a heavy sigh and slowly walked away, supporting his exhausted body.
Inside an aircraft, Lian Qiguang sat beside the window, expressionlessly looking at the writhing ‘human’ figures below. His eyes were completely dead and numb.
Qiu Limao withdrew his gaze and turned toward Lian Qiguang.
“This is the world you once had. Given another chance, I’m sure you could live well again.”
“Where are the one hundred and three missing corpses?”
Ignoring Qiu Limao, Lian Qiguang suddenly asked.
“You’ll see them very soon.”
Qiu Limao looked out the window at the zombie birds constantly flying past, his expression indifferent.
“There will be many familiar faces. They’re very happy to know you’ve returned.”
“Happy?”
Lian Qiguang folded his arms and leaned against the back of his seat, expressionlessly staring at the ceiling of the aircraft.
“They won’t be able to stay happy for long.”
Qiu Limao’s eyes flickered slightly, and he said coldly,
“If you want to kill them, they won’t fight back. Many of them were your subordinates. Every one of them was saved by you. If you hadn’t ended the apocalypse, none of them would have survived.”
“Kill them.”
Lian Qiguang narrowed his eyes and spoke each word slowly, carrying a faint hint of mockery.
“Are they still alive?”
They’re nothing more than corpses struggling to cling to life. They have no warmth, no heartbeat. The only difference is that they do not rot.
Not wanting to waste any more words with Qiu Limao, Lian Qiguang leaned against the seat and slowly closed his eyes.
“Where are we going now?”
Looking at Lian Qiguang’s calm expression, Qiu Limao suddenly found it difficult to understand his indifference.
“District Seven.”
District Seven?
Lian Qiguang’s closed eyes trembled slightly.
That so-called terrifying forbidden zone from which no one ever returned?
“That’s everyone’s survival settlement.”
Sure enough…