Chapter 75: Station 23: Familiar Faces

Chapter 75: Station 23: Familiar Faces

Black shadows flashed past the window pane in a grid.

The reversed images dimly reflected the man's heterochromatic eyes, one red and one blue.

The screeching of the train tracks was loud, but Yan Qiling discerned a faint sound, like mice nibbling, amidst the noise.

A frenzied whisper, indeterminate in origin, alternated between being a lover's playful words and the crackling of restless firewood. It carried an unstable vibration that traveled down his ear, blending into vague, meaningless phrases.

At a certain moment, he saw himself in the glass, with his cerulean eyes.

His irises were like buckets saturated with lake-blue paint, on the verge of spilling from his eyes, as if they would pull him into an unknown abyss of blue.

His shoulders felt slightly heavier.

The young girl's unwittingly lowered head slightly brought Yan Qiling back to reality.

The clattering sound of the train tracks still echoed, gradually fading away amidst the whispered reverberations of tangible touch.

It freed him from an indescribable anomaly, whether an illusion or a tangible reality.

Si Shuhao was still wearing that yellow windbreaker they had first met in; she slept soundly on his shoulder, seemingly immune to any fear forevermore.

Yan Qiling glanced sideways at the young girl's tranquil and innocent sleeping face.

This tranquility stirred up a long-forgotten fragment of memory within him, making him subconsciously think of those who were already gone.

His eyes began to ache from the intensity of his thoughts.

Out of propriety, he should have gently pushed her away, but Yan Qiling refrained from doing so.

Holding onto sentiments faded by the passage of time, he allowed her to lean on him.

In doing so, he overlooked the silver-haired young man who had abruptly opened his eyes across from them.

Until Ming Yiyang rustled out a cigarette from his breast pocket, Yan Qiling's gaze shifted, locking onto the other's purplish irises with a warning look.

"What were you lost in thought about?"

The silver-haired youth, with a cigarette between his lips, suddenly stood up.

First, he gently adjusted the girl's head, which had been resting on Yan Qiling's shoulder, then lifted her and placed her in his own seat, brazenly occupying the spot she had just vacated. He sat down next to Yan Qiling without any hesitation.

All the intricate emotions that had been hidden in his eyes vanished, and when Yan Qiling looked up again, his expression was as calm as a tranquil lake, without a single ripple.

"Why are you taking her away?"

"Obviously, I want to sit with you. Is that not welcome?"

Ming Yiyang casually explained his intention and took out a lighter.

Noticing Yan Qiling's attempt to stop him, Ming Yiyang chuckled softly.

He playfully waved the lighter in front of the other person as if about to ignite it but eventually didn't. Instead, he moved the lighter away and idly flicked its wheel with his thumb, making a clicking sound as he examined the delicate object like a small trinket.

In the midst of the dimness, flickering flames illuminated the handsome young man's face from time to time, much like the impression he left on most people: rebellious, dazzling, and unpredictable.

Ming Yiyang uttered his words nonchalantly:

"There are twelve people in total, including you and me, with one conspicuous package in the back."

"Conspicuous package?"

The young man chuckled, his narrow, slightly upturned eyes gazing at Yan Qiling through his silver hair that shimmered like shattered stars:

"Lin Yongjian."

Yan Qiling was slightly taken aback, then let out a calm sigh:

"...How coincidental."

Ming Yiyang continued to play with the lighter, observing the emotionless, glass-like orbs of the other:

"It is quite a coincidence that you both meet in such a perilous world. But don't forget, the person you need to protect now is Si Shuhao, not him."

"You truly despise him."

Disregarding the subtle hint in the other's words, Yan Qiling propped his hand against his cheek, gazing at the young man with a sideways glance.

"Why?"

"Not exactly despised, but I don't particularly like him either."

The youth removed the cigarette from his mouth and placed it on the small table, activating his Yin-Yang eyes in Ziwu mode to scan the world outside the window.

"This is my first time on a prison train like this. No matter how dangerous the places I've been to before, there was always light outside the train windows."

"The situation outside depends on the rank of the Wujian Master," Yan Qiling replied, not dwelling on their previous conversation. He continued to look at his reflection in the window.

This time, the reflection in the glass was a true mirror image of himself.

With his white teeth gently parting, he said,

"The Domain of an Arch-Doomskeeper at the Profound Rank spans far and wide. We're likely already within its surveillance zone."

"The higher the rank of a Doomskeeper, the vaster the world they can construct. At the Heavenly Rank, they can create an entire world for you."

Ming Yiyang's eye color returned to normal, and his gaze shifted back to him.

"What does... yours look like?"

Yan Qiling smiled faintly, surprisingly not choosing overly polite words. There was a touch more seriousness in his tone as he spoke:

"It's doubtful you'll live long enough to see it."

His words were clear and unambiguous, without any trace of mockery or contempt. It was as if he was simply stating an established fact.

Ming Yiyang didn't pursue that topic further but instead picked up their previous conversation:

"What other abilities do these high-ranking Doomskeepers possess besides creating worlds?"

"The freedom to establish rules."

Yan Qiling drew a white paper fan from his sleeve, unfurling it with a rustling sound:

"As long as They desire, They can reverse the flow of water, invert heaven and earth, even nurture billions of wandering souls in Their own world, endowing them with meaning and manipulating their destinies at will."

With a casual gesture, the man flipped the fan open upside down, yet its bones and frame remained unscathed:

"At the highest tier of the Unbounded Rulers, Their games are myriad. They rarely view humans as such; instead, They treat them as disposable playthings, indulging in them when pleased, granting them glory or affection. When disinterested or in a malevolent mood, They subject them to unimaginable cruelties."

"They might even revel in games of reincarnation or contrive fortuitous mishaps. In short, They created this world, and They can play by any rules They desire."

"Of course, this is the way of the Celestial Unbounded Rulers."

"For the Azure Unbounded Rulers, Their power has not reached the point of casually overturning and reshaping their worlds. They still remain in the stage of meticulous design, albeit Their designed worlds become increasingly realistic."

"In this world, each individual possesses their own logic of action. They won't be as rigid and artificial as the hotel staff in Ararat Mountain, but rather, each one will have their own thoughts and minds."

"To an Azure Unbounded Ruler, these characters with their own thoughts serve as Their external intellects. The more these individuals think, the more comprehensive their perspectives, and the richer their experiences, the greater the benefits for the Ruler."

As he finished speaking, rhythmic applause echoed from his right.

A handsome man with light chestnut hair admiration clearly etched on his face clapped his hands together.

"Well analyzed! I've learned something new!"

Ming Yiyang studied the man, feeling a vague sense of familiarity.

This dashing young man had hazel-gray eyes and a boyish, sun-kissed appearance. His smile was radiant and charming.

On the right side of his exposed neck, there was a striking blue udumbara flower tattoo that covered a significant portion of his skin, making it impossible to overlook.

This tattoo was indeed beautiful, but its rebellious nature formed a stark contrast with the man's radiant and sunny appearance.

In Ming Yiyang's eyes, the spiritual energy embedded in the tattoo was blossoming slowly like an Utrica flower, with its fine pollen scattering around like stardust.

It reminded him of someone:

"Diao Qingchang?"

"You recognized me, Brother Ming!"

Diao Qingchang slapped his thigh in delight and stood up, "Senior Brother Wang mentioned he'd introduce us for a meal sometime, but who would've thought we'd meet here without even having that meal? It's really fate! Boss Chi also told me about your previous accomplishments. Wow, Bro Ming, you're my idol."

This person was quite friendly and outgoing, speaking boldly and with exaggeration, as if putting on a show.

Ming Yiyang observed him for a moment, put away his lighter, and didn't react much to the enthusiasm, "Are you the person Wang Badian recommended?"

Yan Qiling glanced over from the side.

Ming Yiyang explained, "He's our senior brother, surnamed Wang, Taoist name Ba Fang."

Ba Fang Daoist was indeed Chi Zihe and Ming Yiyang's senior brother. However, few people who knew him well would address him by his Taoist name; most often, they called him "Wang Badian."

This was mainly due to his baffling behavior and tendency to do strange things that harmed himself without benefiting others. Currently, Chi Zihe had the best relationship with him.

Two troublemakers had tricked each other until they developed feelings; now they were as close as brothers sharing the same pants, incredibly compatible.

"Hahaha, I wouldn't dare to call him that. I'm not that familiar with Senior Brother Wang yet."

Diao Qingchang didn't continue the topic and instead turned to the handsome man with black hair beside him, his expression excited as he spoke meticulously:

"Is this... Mr. Yan? Your analysis of the Wujian Master just now was truly insightful and thought-provoking! I've really learned a lot from it."

Ming Yiyang glanced at the sunny and lively young man in front of him and pretended to ask casually:

"Did Chi Zihe mention you to you?"

"Well, not exactly. I overheard it myself. Heh heh."

Diao Qingchang openly admitted his eavesdropping:

"I was just curious about who Boss Chi was chatting with, so... I listened in a little, mainly because it involved the mission, so I had to be cautious, right?"

"Cautious," the silver-haired youth raised an eyebrow. "Chi Zihe didn't give you a divination?"

Diao Qingchang chuckled again.

"In fact, this time... I took on a private job... So, could you... not tell Boss Chi about it?"

"Sure."

Ming Yiyang seemed quite amenable.

"Who's your client? I can help protect them too. If you give me a 20% cut of the commission, we'll just pretend this never happened."

Diao Qingchang was taken aback that the other party had directly proposed a 20% commission, feeling rather at a loss.

But he was quick-witted, and after a swift mental calculation, he grinned and nodded in agreement, "No problem at all, thanks for your help, Brother Ming. My client is right over there."

He gestured to the seat beside him.

By the window lay a black-haired young man, his glasses slightly askew from his face, exuding an elegant and refined demeanor with a scholarly air. He appeared utterly harmless, as if he lacked the strength to tie a chicken.

Without waiting for others to ask, Diao Qingchang eagerly spoke up:

"He's Shi Wenguang. He came here after his ex-girlfriend gave him a ticket. Later, she felt guilty and revealed the truth to him, so he came to the company... But Boss Chi said he doesn't take clients of that kind – anyone who's been given a ticket by someone else."

"But I thought he looked too pitiful... So I took on his case anyway."

Ming Yiyang didn't bother with platitudes and cut straight to the chase:

"He must have offered quite a bit, right?"

Diao Qingchang looked a little embarrassed:

"Yes, indeed... That price was quite tempting, heh heh."

Ming Yiyang made no comment.

The young man picked up his unlit cigarette, put it back in his mouth, and glanced at the seemingly ordinary man. Squinting slightly, he quickly understood why Chi Zihe had refused this case.