Chapter 21: Station 21: The Moon

Chapter 21: Station: Moon

Suo Bo revealed a cautious expression.

Although the others didn't exhibit such obvious changes in their demeanor, they were also hesitant to act due to the initiative taken by this person.

Only Yan Qiling nonchalantly retrieved a fountain pen from the vase on the coffee table and tossed it to him, saying, "Come on."

He was so calm, as if he had never been hurt by this person standing before him.

Yao Kunrui caught the pen, lowered his head, and used the metal nib to slice open his wrist. He then dug deeper into the wound, almost self-mutilating, before aligning his mangled wrist with that pulsating heart.

The heart absorbed his blood.

After a brief silence, a vibrant golden glow suddenly burst forth from the depths of the heart!

Those enveloped by the golden light genuinely felt a sense of comfort.

Like a warm current in the depths of winter, it infused vitality into their nearly barren bodies, making them bloom once more in the glow.

They were on the verge of sighing in amazement.

The heart gradually dimmed its radiance, transforming into a small metallic sphere that spun effortlessly in mid-air.

The surface of the sphere was etched with weathered, ancient patterns. Those with knowledge of such designs could discern that these markings resembled scroll clouds.

Yan Qiling wore a satisfied smile and said without reservation, "Its function should be related to journeys. Yao Kunrui, you should use it."

Yao Kunrui's face flushed red, and he stammered, "H-How do I use it?"

"Close your eyes and communicate with it patiently. It will give you the answer."

Yao Kunrui followed Yan Qiling's instructions, immersing his mind completely. His expression was one of profound tranquility.

Surrounding onlookers exchanged glances, their expressions peculiar.

If Yan Qiling could be described as endlessly forgiving, even to the point of pardoning someone who had nearly cost him his life, then Yao Kunrui's reaction was utterly perplexing.

This person's train of thought seemed rather atypical, and he was excessively selfish. Not to mention the boorish remarks he'd made during the ripping of the numbers...

Even if he were to openly oppose Yan Qiling now, no one would find it strange.

Yet, not only did he display an obedient demeanor, but he also appeared genuinely willing and...enjoying it?

This was truly chilling!

Si Shuhao pulled Su Bo behind Ming Yiyang, worried that Yao Kunrui might be possessed by some strange entity.

Yao Kunrui didn't care about others' thoughts. As he communicated with the metal ball, he felt that warmth seep into the depths of his constricted heart, invigorating him like never before.

He saw a village and torchlights. Focusing on that spot, he felt his body stretching into a long form, as if being pulled by something.

His thoughts were momentarily disrupted.

When he blinked away the dizziness and opened his eyes, he found everyone around him looking at him with peculiar expressions.

Suzhuo spoke first, "…Where did you just go?"

Yao Kunrui, on the other hand, immediately searched for Yan Qiling's presence and asked eagerly, "What happened just now?"

Ming Yiyang, who had been adjusting the telescope to observe their surroundings, said, "You just went to the front of the station."

Yao Kunrui was both shocked and perplexed. He clearly remembered being in a village illuminated by torches.

Yan Qiling used a silver chain to retrieve a book.

"Place it right where you stood earlier."

The young man took the book and, surprisingly, revealed a slightly bashful smile.

Ignoring the startled gazes around him, he once again established contact with the metal ball.

This time, with both feet firmly on the ground, he confirmed that he was indeed standing within the village. However, he didn't linger, merely tossing the book to the ground before allowing the dizziness to overwhelm him.

Upon returning to the observatory, he found Ming Yiyang had already left.

Everyone in the room held their breath, striving not to make a sound.

Only Hu Zhicheng, who remained by the telescope, waved at him, seemingly wanting to show him something.

Through the telescope, he clearly saw that the book he had been holding had now appeared beside the platform!

Yan Qiling picked up the diary again and methodically proceeded:

"Ming Yiyang has successfully distracted the Master of Chaos. Now, Yao Kunrui will transport everyone to the platform."

Yao Kunrui's eyes lit up as he looked at him pleadingly.

"Shall I, then... escort you there first?"

"No," Yan Qiling rejected.

"I'll stay behind and cover our retreat."

"And if Ming Yiyang fails to keep the Master of Chaos occupied?"

"I will unlock the memories in the diary. That should give you enough time to act."

Yao Kunrui appeared disheartened, but he seemed even more reluctant to defy Yan Qiling's orders. Thus, he followed the instructions and transported the others away one by one.

Rumbles echoed from outside the door.

Inside, Yao Kunrui returned through teleportation, seizing Yan Qiling's wrist to pull him along for their departure.

Yet, the moment his eyes met with the man's heterochromatic gaze, an overwhelming desire to submit forced him to his knees.

Trembling, he quaked in fear while simultaneously thrilled by the latent killing intent that lurked beneath the man's calm surface.

Yan Qiling murmured thoughtfully,

"I didn't expect that your hatred for me... has surpassed even that of the Master of the Underworld... It's merely a waste of time..."

The young man, seemingly unable to comprehend, leaned forward to press his face against Yan Qiling's shoe, but Yan Qiling stood up, evading his advance.

With a resounding crash, Ming Yiyang burst through the door. He swiftly turned to secure the bolt, his fervid blood surging like a waterfall, thrusting the entire door wide open!

Repeating the mystical incantation, Yan Qiling inscribes an enigmatic symbol on the cover of his notebook.

The river of blood receded, and they were bathed in radiant sunlight once more.

The memory belonging to the Master of the Boundless Realm was unfolded once more.

-

The maiden huddled in the corner possessed eyes nearly as white as snow, their ceaseless flow of tears causing her entire face to shimmer with an ethereal glow.

She heard unfamiliar footsteps and quickly turned her face toward the wall, as if to prevent passersby from seeing her state. However, the footsteps halted right before her.

It was a young man's voice:

"Are you the one crying?"

The girl wiped away her tears, got up with a composed expression, and met the gaze of the man standing before her.

He was none other than the new geography teacher who had recently joined the school, Li Shien.

"I'm not crying, Teacher. It's just tears from my physiology."

Li Shien studied her with unwavering attention, noting the peculiarity in her eyes.

Jin Shuen disliked the curious gaze and attempted to pass him by, but he intercepted her:

"Student Jin Shuen, would you like to see the stars?"

The young girl paused, her response stiff and guarded.

"No."

The flow of time and space resumed atop the observatory. Yan Qiling whispered,

"Take him away first."

Anger flared across Yao Kunrui's face, but Ming Yiyang, unusually, didn't argue. Instead, he placed something on Yan Qiling's wrist before being forcefully taken away by the red-haired youth, whose expression had drastically changed.

A silver filigree bracelet now adorned Yan Qiling's wrist.

Scanning it briefly, Yan Qiling leaned against the bookshelf, quietly observing this enchanting illusion.

As time stood still, the scene unfolded with increasing clarity.

Li Shien was seen perusing disorganized documents on the sofa when the front door suddenly opened.

He encountered Jin Shuen, who appeared hurried.

Before any words could be exchanged, Jin Shuen darted into the depths of the bookshelf, skillfully hiding inside the large box that held the telescope.

Amidst the silence, Li Shien heard hurried footsteps echoing from the hallway. Soon after, a group of girls led by Jiang Minzhen appeared before him.

They were equally startled to see Li Shien.

As a teacher, he took the initiative to ask, "Why are you all here?"

Polite as always, Jiang Minzhen replied, "One of our classmates skipped class. She's already missed one lesson, and the teacher asked us to fetch her back... We just saw her running this way, didn't we?"

Closing the documents in his hand without any change in expression, Li Shien said, "I didn't see anyone come in. You should look elsewhere."

Jiang Minzhen smiled gently. "Perhaps she sneaked in when the teacher wasn't paying attention."

Li Shien intercepted the girls attempting to search without any hesitation.

"The principal and village chief will be visiting the observatory this afternoon. There are many exhibits that mustn't be touched. Besides, class is about to start. You should leave now; you can't afford to take responsibility if anything goes missing."

Jiang Minzhen quickly glanced inside and said meaningfully, "Alright then, if Teacher sees that student, remember to ask her to come back to class."

After the girls left, Li Shien locked the door from the inside and walked over to the box. She let out a sigh.

The slightly ajar box remained still. Li Shien hesitated for a moment before gently opening it.

A frail girl was curled up inside, trembling. Only after realizing that no one else was behind Li Shien did she slowly exhale.

Seeing her in such a state, Li Shien couldn't help but ask, "If you're so scared, why didn't you tell Teacher?"

Jin Shuen lowered her gaze.

"No one will intervene. They're all from the Jiang and Cui families."

Li Shien studied her for a moment before fully opening the box.

"Come out. If you need help in the future, you can find me."

Jin Shuen remained silent, still seated inside the box. Li Shien felt a hint of frustration.

"You'll end up deforming the box if you keep sitting there."

She emerged with pursed lips, holding onto her dress, and asked with her head down,

"What would you want if I were to seek you out?"

Li Shien didn't grasp her meaning.

"What do you mean?"

The young lady fell silent for a moment before suddenly starting to unfasten the buttons on her collar.

Li Shien watched her in confusion, then quickly realized what was happening and rushed over to stop her.

"What are you doing?!"

After a moment, he abruptly understood.

"Who told you to do this?!"

Jin Shuen looked at him with an unusual glint in her eyes, a chilling detachment that startled him.

"Don't all adults do this? If you're more attractive than them, I suppose I could reluctantly accept it. In exchange for your protection, I could accommodate such requests twice a week."

Li Shien stared at her in shock.

"I'm your teacher, it's my duty to protect you without any ulterior motives. Put your clothes back on! When class is over, I'll escort you back to your classroom."

They sat awkwardly on the sofa again. Li Shien poured her a glass of water and resumed reading his book.

Both of them seemed somewhat distracted.

An awkward atmosphere lingered in the air as Li Shien suddenly put down his book and asked,

"Would you like to see the stars?"

The young girl held her teacup, looking at him questioningly.

"I don't know how to use a telescope," she said.

Li Shien stood up and offered, "I'll teach you."

He bent down to adjust the telescope's direction, then stepped aside, maintaining a polite distance, extending an invitation to her, "Come and take a look."

Jin Shuen appeared slightly uncertain. She approached cautiously, like a small creature tentatively poking its head out of its nest.

As she truly began to observe, she transformed into a silent statue, emitting no sighs of admiration or any other sounds.

Yet, she remained there for quite some time before suddenly inquiring,

"What is that in the middle?"

Seeing her engrossed, Li Shien felt a sense of ease wash over him.

"It's Ceres, currently moving near its perihelion. Its apparent magnitude is around 7 at the moment, but it's still rather faint to the untrained eye. Nevertheless, it's the largest asteroid within the Kirkwood Gap."

He pondered for a moment before suddenly asking,

"Would you like to see the Moon?"

Jin Shuen turned to look at him, her youthful face radiating with the anticipation unique to adolescents.

"Is it possible?"

"Of course."

Li Shien crouched down to adjust the telescope. After a while, he moved aside again.

"Done."

This time, Jin Shuen finally let out an childish exclamation,

"It's so bright."

Li Shien chuckled,

"Yes, actually the moonlight has been excellent these few days. You could even see it clearly with the naked eye at dusk. If the Baader filter hadn't been borrowed, you would have been able to witness the sun, Mercury, and Venus too."

Jin Shuen gazed at the world through the telescope, speaking softly,

"It's wonderful to see the moon like this. I've never seen such a brilliant moon before…"