Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Amidst the bumpy ride, each of them was lost in their thoughts. Yaoguang pondered over Xing Wu's words, while Long Jianlu, after finding the priest within a single day and making significant progress towards his mission, felt disoriented and as if he were in a dream.

The young boy in the backseat was filled with anxiety, fear, and confusion.

"I'm going to be sick," he said.

"Sorry," Long Jianlu glanced at the rearview mirror and replied, "I'm already driving as smoothly as I can. I'll slow down even more."

"Have you ever been on a mountain mining cart?" Yaoguang asked. "You should try it for an adrenaline rush."

"Don't tease him," Long Jianlu said.

Yaoguang: "Some big brothers weren't this gentle at first."

Long Jianlu replied, "This is different. It's not the same kind of vehicle."

"What are you guys talking about?" the boy asked.

"Nothing," Long Jianlu and Yaoguang said in unison.

The youth: "?"

Long Jianlu drove with utmost concentration, his gaze fixed straight ahead, barely daring to glance at the rearview mirror, only occasionally stealing a look at Yaoguang.

"Where do we go now?" Yaoguang asked.

Long Jianlu replied, "The Riverbank Shelter is approximately three hundred and sixty kilometers from here."

Yaoguang glanced at the speedometer; Long Jianlu was driving rather slowly, probably only around forty kilometers per hour. He commented, "We won't make it before dark."

"It would be better to take the main road."

"Are you going to look for Number 7?" the youth asked, "And what number are you?"

"I am not a Guardian," Yaoguang replied. "If you must label me, you can consider me as Number 42."

"I am Number 41," the youth inquired. "What is your name? I am Feixun. What are your abilities? I don't recall there being a Number 42."

"He's a Seer," Long Jianlu replied for Yaoguang. "He recently awakened and knows almost everything that happens in the world. He was the one who told me where you were."

Feixun looked at Yaoguang, who turned his head to meet his gaze.

"Yes," Yaoguang said. "But as Long Jianlu mentioned, I don't know everything... My knowledge is rather unpredictable, and I'm still adjusting to it."

Feixun asked, "Then tell me, what will happen to me?"

Yaoguang replied, "I don't know yet."

"You'll come with us to the Riverbank Shelter," Long Jianlu flipped open a small compartment on the driver's side, took out a pair of sunglasses, put them on, and glanced at Feixun through the rearview mirror. "Find a flying vehicle, and we'll cross the Northern Mountains together and head for the Sanctuary."

"And then?" Feixun inquired.

"Then we'll gather the remaining Guardians," Long Jianlu continued, "to protect you and go to the World Tree to shut it down."

"No one will answer your call," Feixun said. "Don't you understand yet? Times have changed. The mission was automatically discharged with your father's death."

"That wasn't my father," Long Jianlu's expression darkened as he spoke in a solemn tone, "just a replica."

Yaoguang scratched his head, sensing the tension in the air. He was about to say something to lighten the mood when Long Jianlu spoke up, "I'll give the Guardians three days. If no one goes, I'll go myself. Priest, will you accompany me?"

Feixun didn't respond.

Long Jianlu turned his head slightly and glanced at Yaoguang.

Suddenly, Feixun said, "I need some rest."

Long Jianlu replied, "Or should I speed up? We could reach the Riverbank Shelter by ten tonight at the earliest."

Yaoguang suggested, "I think we should find a place to rest and prepare first. It's rather risky to travel at night before we hit the main road."

"Is that your prediction?" Long Jianlu leaned slightly forward, gazing through the windshield at the distant sky. "A sudden ambush?"

Yaoguang felt that perhaps they should all stop and find a safe spot to have an earnest conversation. After all, Long Jianlu had searched for so many years and finally found the Priest. His emotions must be in turmoil.

The same could be said for the Priest. He had been locked away by Xing Wu and now, after being rescued, he was immediately whisked away on a perilous mission... They barely knew each other, and it would take time to become acquainted. The Priest might not know that Long Jianlu had been searching for him... or maybe he did, but this young man named Feixun couldn't be feeling great right now.

"No, I'm just hungry," Yaoguang said, using hunger as an excuse rather than revealing his true thoughts.

Long Jianlu: "..."

Yaoguang added, "And I'm drenched all over. We all look quite disheveled after that escape."

Long Jianlu had no choice but to steer the vehicle, driving across the open land. In the distance, they spotted an abandoned, vine-covered structure nestled beneath the rocks.

Priest Feixun stepped out of the car, taking a deep breath as he surveyed his surroundings.

"I haven't left the sanctuary in a long time," Feixun said, venturing into the waist-high grass.

"Be careful," Long Jianlu warned. "There might be snakes in there."

Feixun turned back, gazing at Long Jianlu from nearly ten meters away. They stood like that for a moment, and it seemed as if Long Jianlu was about to approach.

Yaoguang walked to the rear of the car, opening the trunk, and watched this exchange. He expected Long Jianlu to rush over and embrace the priest.

Yet, after a few seconds, Long Jianlu did nothing of the sort. Instead, he turned and headed back to the SUV.

"You should go talk to him," Yaoguang whispered. "I'll look for some supplies."

"There's a camping stove in the car," Long Jianlu said. "It must be Xing Wu's fishing gear."

Suddenly, Yaoguang reached out and took off Long Jianlu's sunglasses. "Hey, stop it!"

Yaoguang replied, "Why are you still wearing sunglasses at dusk?"

"Eh?" Yaoguang looked at the sunglasses in his hand and then at Long Jianlu's eyes, noticing they were slightly red. But that wasn't the main issue.

"You…" Yaoguang found the situation amusing. "I actually managed to snatch something from you?"

"I don't use my powers to defend against people I'm close to," Long Jianlu said helplessly. "Are you satisfied? Hand them over."

Yaoguang didn't comply, but Long Jianlu was incredibly quick. The moment he activated his ability, Yaoguang felt the sunglasses vanish, reappearing in Long Jianlu's hands as if by magic.

But Long Jianlu didn't put the sunglasses back on; he simply stowed them away.

"Don't change the subject," Yaoguang said. "You should talk to the Priest."

"What am I supposed to say?" Long Jianlu looked into the distance, where the Priest was pacing about in the wilderness not too far from them. "What do you want me to discuss with him?"

"You're quite skilled at charming little ones, aren't you, Big Brother?" Yaoguang said. "Tell him you've been searching for him, pour your heart out, and conquer him with your charm. Hurry!"

"Sigh..."

"Go on!" Yaoguang urged Long Jianlu, pushing him to turn around.

After a moment of silence, Long Jianlu slowly approached the priest, who was sitting on a rock, gazing up at the sky.

Yaoguang retrieved a stove and some packaged meals that could be easily cooked with added water and heat, along with a few cans, from the trunk of the vehicle. Feeling hungry himself, he set up the camping stove behind the derelict building's wall.

This seemed to have been an abandoned watchtower, perhaps erected temporarily to monitor the movements of the mechanical troops. It wasn't an ancient structure, and inside, there was a bed covered in dust.

Yaoguang unfolded a collapsible bucket and, passing through the watchtower, went to fetch water from a nearby river.

Long Jianlu stood silently behind the priest as the evening breeze picked up. Neither of them spoke.

"I'll go!" Long Jianlu called out from a distance.

"No worries," Yaoguang assured, "I promise to stay within your line of sight."

Long Jianlu remained with the priest, and Yaoguang intentionally gave them space to foster their relationship. However, they seemed to have no interaction at all.

When he returned with the water, Long Jianlu had been watching Yaoguang's every move and eventually approached him.

"Mind your own business."

"He's ignoring me!" Long Jianlu exclaimed. "What can I do about it?"

"What silly joke did you crack to upset him?" Yaoguang inquired.

Long Jianlu replied, "I didn't do anything. Since I met him, we haven't exchanged more than five sentences alone."

Yaoguang responded, "If someone were to start talking about missions and destiny right after meeting me, I'd probably ignore them too."

"Don't mention him anymore, alright?" Long Jianlu appeared irritated. "I just want to be alone for a while."

Yaoguang acquiesced, "Alright then."

Observing Long Jianlu's expression, he realized the seriousness of the matter, which made him feel uneasy.

Yaoguang handed everything over to him and was about to leave when Long Jianlu said, "Stay here with me."

Yaoguang was baffled. "Aren't you wanting to be alone?"

Long Jianlu replied, "Sit here and don't say a word."

Yaoguang: "..."

The situation grew peculiar. The priest sat at a distance, while the seer and the knight maintained a silence. The knight was in charge of preparing the meal.

Long Jianlu boiled the water, filtered it, then poured it into the camping food packets. After letting them simmer until the packaging strips changed color, they'd be ready to eat.

"Go call him for dinner," suggested Yaoguang.

"I'm not going," Long Jianlu replied, clearly still upset.

"Are you a child?" Yaoguang asked, before getting up himself to approach the stone in the wilderness where the priest lay.

"Time to eat, Feixun," Yaoguang roused him from his thoughts.

The sky had almost completely darkened, and stars shimmered at the horizon's edge. Following Yaoguang, Feixun returned, and Long Jianlu handed them spoons. The three sat by the campfire, commencing their meal in silence.

The atmosphere remained quiet.

"You've been confined by Xing Wu ever since you woke up?" Yaoguang asked, feeling compelled to break the stillness.

Feixun had eaten quite a bit, clearly famished.

"You're the Seer," Feixun countered, "you should know what has happened to me, right?"

Long Jianlu interjected, "He mentioned that his predictive abilities are sporadic."

Perhaps because Long Jianlu's seriousness carried a hint of sternness, Feixun seemed more apprehensive of him than Yaoguang. He replied honestly, "No, I woke up on my own."

"Huh?" Yaoguang was genuinely surprised.

Long Jianlu paused, attentively listening to Feixun's account.

Feixun shared, "I used to be a volunteer in the Central Region, undergoing Dr. Flash's modification project. The modifications were tailored to each individual's unique traits."

"Who were you before the transformation?" Yaoguang asked.

Feixun replied, "Just an ordinary person. I don't know why I was chosen to become a priest. My brother was one of the researchers in the genetic modification program. Originally, he was meant to be the priest, but something went wrong during his modification process, frying his neural synapses. I was just a backup plan."

Long Jianlu looked at Feixun silently.

Feixun continued, "They implanted all the codes needed to bypass firewalls into my subconscious. These codes are so complex that they can't be transferred through written records or language. I can only access them in special circumstances, specifically when I reach the control center and connect to 'The Tree'..."

"...When I woke up, your war had just ended. I heard the Knight Order had disbanded, leaving only one surviving member..."

Long Jianlu responded, "So you were looking for me?"

Feixun shook his head. "No, I was searching for my family."

Long Jianlu nodded. "Mm."

Feixun continued, "My family from before the modification – my mother and sister. I went to our old home, the former Broadmarsh Zone, now known as Marsh Refuge, but there was no trace of them. They had moved several times, and our former neighbors have also vanished. After that, I found 'Mage' Number 2, Xing Wu."

Long Jianlu: "He promised to find your family but kept you confined?"

Feixun replied, "Yes, that's right. I spent two years in the Haven of Ze, and occasionally Xing Wu would take me out for a change of scenery. But still, no news of them."

Yaoguang asked, "You remember everything before the transformation?"

Feixun: "Yes, my memories are all intact."

The conversation trailed off as the three fell into their own thoughts, gazing at the flickering campfire.

A breeze swept across the plains, and as night fell, the temperature began to drop, turning chilly.

"Let's sleep," Long Jianlu finally said. "I'll set up a bed for both of you to get through the night."

Long Jianlu went inside the guard post, tidied up, and pulled blankets from the vehicle to make a simple bed. Feixun immediately lay down, while Yaoguang leaned against the low wall, holding his pendant and lost in thought by the firelight.

Long Jianlu gave a look, asking, Aren't you going to sleep inside?

Yaoguang pointed at Long Jianlu and then inside, implying, You should be the one to keep him company.

Long Jianlu waved his hand, dismissing the matter, then sat down beside Yaoguang.

After a moment of silence, Long Jianlu spoke, "I know of another place where you can regain all your memories from before your slumber, perhaps even the origin of your abilities."

"Where?" Yaoguang's eyes widened as he looked at Long Jianlu.

Long Jianlu studied his face for a moment before saying, "The World Tree, the Control Center. Its core database holds records of all those who have slumbered."

Yaoguang nodded. "We were supposed to go there, weren't we?"

Long Jianlu replied, "No, my original plan was to send you to Lu Shan's side after finding the priest, to seek refuge at the Riverbank Sanctuary. Listen, there might be another way..."

"I have to go," Yaoguang said. "You're right, that place might hold the answers to all our questions. But how will I access these records even if I get to the 'Tree'?"

Long Jianlu responded, "The Control Area is the only space left for human operation. The Tree has never been able to shut it down. But that's not important. If you trust me, I'll try my best to connect and retrieve the data for you. However, I can't guarantee it will be everything you wish to know..."

"What are you talking about?" Yaoguang asked. "How could I let you do this alone?"

Long Jianlu remained silent, and Yaoguang continued, "Besides, even without the memories, I..."

Long Jianlu suddenly turned his head to look at Yaoguang.

But Yaoguang didn't continue. What he wanted to say was, "Even without the memories, I would still accompany you."

"What else?" Long Jianlu asked.

"Nothing," Yaoguang replied.

Long Jianlu laughed and raised his hand to touch Yaoguang's head, but Yaoguang dodged away, clearly not enjoying it.

"Thank you," Long Jianlu said. "This is my mission with the Priest, not yours. You've done so much for me, and I'm truly grateful. I mean it, Yaoguang, listen..."

"I mean it too," Yaoguang turned to face him, saying, "If you keep talking like that, I'll get angry."

After a few seconds, Long Jianlu said, "You'll stay at the Riverbank Shelter. That's decided. Don't argue anymore."

"I mean it too," Yaoguang insisted. "Can't you understand? In this world, I only know you. Since I woke up, we've been together all the time. You're my only friend. Even though it hasn't been long, I... I... I can't think of anything else I can do. Anyway, you found me in the research facility. Perhaps that's the purpose of my existence – to provide intermittent guidance to someone who's still committed to their mission, even if it's sporadic. No matter what, I can't let you face it alone."

It was Yaoguang's seventh day since he woke up, and he had already grasped most of the situation.

"Thank you," Long Jianlu said earnestly. "I'm deeply touched, Yaoguang. You're the only one who truly understands me."

But then Long Jianlu added, "You'll like Lu Shan. He's a great friend of mine, and there's Number 5 – who knows, you might even fall for Number 5?"

"That's not the same thing!" Yaoguang grew impatient, feeling that Long Jianlu could be unreasonably stubborn at times. He nearly roared, "Listen to me, Long Jianlu!"

"Don't hit people with the stove!" Long Jianlu jumped in fright, trying to stop Yaoguang.

"Alright." Long Jianlu ran a hand through his short hair, looking somewhat troubled. "Let's not discuss this further. Let's just get some sleep."

Yaoguang's blood pressure soared, taking a moment to subside.

With a mischievous grin, Long Jianlu suddenly said, "You're jealous, right? I guessed correctly, didn't I?"

Fixing Long Jianlu with a stare, Yaoguang replied, "Are you trying to provoke me with a different approach this time?"

Long Jianlu countered, "You asked me to take the priest and leave first. You didn't expect me to come back for you, which clearly indicates jealousy. Do you think I'd neglect you just because I have the priest now?"

"It was a mission that weighed heavily on your heart," Yaoguang remarked sarcastically, unable to resist despite knowing it was inappropriate. After all, Long Jianlu had provoked him first.

Long Jianlu unexpectedly didn't say a word, instead he parted his legs and casually plucked a few blades of grass in front of him. After a moment, he glanced at Yaoguang.

In that instant, his gaze held an enchanting depth of emotion.

Yaoguang's heart clearly stirred at that moment. He knew what Long Jianlu hadn't said aloud – he was reluctant to leave him.

They had met amidst the ruins and entrusted their lives to each other. When Long Jianlu was on the verge of giving up, Yaoguang had brought light of hope into his life, accompanying him as he gradually dispelled the haze.

Throughout the journey, Long Jianlu faithfully protected and cared for him. In this crumbling world where Yaoguang had no one else to rely on, he displayed a potent blend of strength and tenderness that seemed so natural on him.

At that very moment, both of them were grappling with complex emotions. With Yaoguang's loss of all memories, including love, familial affection, and friendship, the bonds between people were imprinted deep within his subconscious, though indescribable through words.

Long Jianlu got up, took a look inside the guard post, and emerged without his windbreaker. Yaoguang lay on the ground with his eyes closed, while Long Jianlu propped his head on his arm, gazing at the stars. The flames from the camping stove were fading.

"I'm quite stubborn, right?" Long Jianlu said.

"You're someone who perseveres," Yaoguang replied, also propping his head on his arm and lying on his side. "The flip side of perseverance is stubbornness, and that's not a bad thing."

Long Jianlu: "What would happen if I actually managed to do it?"

Yaoguang, with his eyes closed, asked, "Do what?"

Long Jianlu: "Shut down the 'Tree'."

Yaoguang: "Then you'd save the entire world."

Long Jianlu: "I mean, what comes after that?"

Yaoguang: "After that?"

Long Jianlu: "Perhaps even the Creator didn't have a script for what follows?"

Yaoguang: "The world would go back to how it was. The mechanical killers would stop, and everyone would emerge from their shelters to live their lives under the sun."

"Your duty as a Guardian would also come to an end," Long Jianlu said. "At that point, what would you like to do? I used to think about this often when I was wandering alone before."

Yaoguang opened his eyes and faced away from Long Jianlu. "You'd probably want to find a comfortable place and spend the rest of your days with a priestess, right?"

"I have considered it," Long Jianlu admitted. "You're jealous again, aren't you?"

"Scram." Yaoguang replied.

Long Jianlu reached out and patted Yaoguang's shoulder, not saying another word.

Yaoguang fell asleep under the starry sky.

He disliked sleeping outdoors. When camping, one could never fully let their guard down, for there might be potential dangers lurking nearby. The exhaustion remained even after a night's rest.

The next morning, Yaoguang woke up groggy-eyed. Perhaps due to the cold, he had clung to Long Jianlu's warm body in his sleep, and Long Jianlu, in turn, had embraced him without hesitation.

"We still have over two hundred kilometers to go," Yaoguang said. "Shouldn't we set off?"

Long Jianlu had used too much energy the previous day and hadn't gotten proper rest. He still appeared somewhat weary.

"Why are you unbuttoning my shirt?" Long Jianlu asked. "Did you try to sneak a feel of my pectorals in the middle of the night?"

"Can you be serious for once?" Yaoguang said. "Where's the priest? Priest!"

In the watchtower, the cramped quarters were deserted; Feixun was nowhere to be found. Only Long Jianlu's windbreaker remained on the bed.

They hurriedly got into the vehicle. Long Jianlu slipped on his coat and said, "He ran away on his own. There were no enemies last night!"

Yaoguang asked, "Why couldn't you even keep an eye on a living person?"

Long Jianlu replied, "Ask him that! Why would he run? I didn't do anything!"

Yaoguang was perplexed. Indeed, Long Jianlu's vigilance only kicked in during attacks, never against his own comrades. Besides, they had never imagined that a priest would flee... In the wilderness, leaving without permission was tantamount to suicide, especially considering Feixun's crucial identity. If captured by the Mechanized Legion, his fate would be sealed.

"What about your prophecy?" Long Jianlu asked.

"I don't know. There was no prophecy," Yaoguang answered.

Long Jianlu started the vehicle, assessed the terrain, and then sped out of the plain, heading for a nearby forest.

Yaoguang queried, "How do you know he went this way?"

Long Jianlu responded, "Any rational person would hide in the woods and then escape through them. The surrounding area is mostly flatlands, making it easy to track him. He likely fled through the back window of the guard post."

"No wonder you were sleeping all afternoon yesterday," Yaoguang said. "You were already preparing to run, weren't you?"

Long Jianlu had picked up Feixun's trail. He drove along the edge of the woods and spotted a piece of cloth hanging on a bush. Then, he stepped on the gas, pushing the car to its maximum speed.

With a direction to follow, it was only a matter of time before they found him.

"I think you two should have a serious talk," Yaoguang suggested.

"What is there to talk about?" Long Jianlu was evidently agitated. "He knows full well what he needs to do."

"But what if he doesn't want to go?" Yaoguang asked.

Long Jianlu fell silent, his face darkening.

"Not everyone is as willing as you are to fulfill their destiny…"

The off-road vehicle screeched to a halt, nearly throwing Yaoguang into the windshield.

Standing in the middle of the open road ahead was none other than Feixun. He was panting heavily as he emerged from the grass and made his way onto the pavement.

He spotted the off-road vehicle and had to pull over, realizing that he had been found. After wasting his energy all night, it was wisest to surrender.

"Is there something you want to say to me?" Long Jianlu spoke sternly. "Seems like you have quite an issue with me!"

Feixun turned around, facing Long Jianlu.

Yaoguang got out of the car but didn't approach. Long Jianlu halted, standing five meters away from Feixun.

Silent, Feixun only stared at Long Jianlu guardedly.

"Why?" Long Jianlu asked. "Give me a reason."

Feixun replied, "Tell me what's next for me?"

There was clear anger in Long Jianlu's voice. "Isn't it obvious? Why do you need to ask me?"

Feixun: "I want to hear it from your own lips. Speak, knight."

Long Jianlu: "Head to the Riverbank Shelter to resupply, then return to the Sanctuary and summon all the Guardians."

"What comes next?"

"Head for the Tree," Long Jianlu said. "Use your power to breach the firewall and shut it down."

"Are you sure you know how to shut it down?" Feixun asked. "For you, all it takes is getting me to the control console so I can connect with the Tree, right? Number Three?"

Long Jianlu: "It's a gift you were born with, a task bestowed upon you. Listen to me. I'm sorry about your brother's death, but my duty is to protect you until we reach the core control console. I know it's risky, but I'll do everything in my power to keep you alive. If you trust me, I'm willing to give my life to ensure your safety..."

Feixun replied, "And then supervise as I upload my consciousness to die alongside that supercomputer?"

Long Jianlu's expression shifted.

Yaoguang: "!!!"

Yaoguang took a step forward but quickly stopped.

Feixun continued, "What right do you have to force me to die for the sake of humanity? Is my purpose in life to self-destruct with the 'Tree'? ! I won't go! Why don't you sacrifice yourself?!"

Long Jianlu: "Wait... Is that really it? No one ever told me there was another way? It has to be like this?"

Feixun gazed at Long Jianlu in silence.

Long Jianlu, with an unprecedented sense of bewilderment, subconsciously glanced back at Yaoguang and then at Feixun. Soon, he regained his composure and said, "I see now, Priest. This is the reason why you refused, right?"

Feixun replied, "So what?"

Long Jianlu answered, "Give me some time to think. There must be a way."

"What if there isn't a solution? The outcome will still be the same," Feixun said. "Are you asking me to die for all of humanity?"

Long Jianlu responded, "Fine, if you don't want to die, I won't force you. Can we put this aside for now? Your situation would only worsen if you fall into the hands of the Mechanized Legion."

Instead of moving closer, Feixun took a step back.

Long Jianlu stepped forward again.

"I understand," Long Jianlu's tone softened. "Come with me. I promise I won't hurt you. I swear it."

"Liars," Feixun spat out the word.

Long Jianlu suddenly sensed something, but it was already too late.

Within a second, Yaoguang let out a cry. A flash erupted from the pocket of Long Jianlu's windbreaker. Caught off guard, he never expected the priest to have prepared an ambush to kill him!

He should have been vigilant when Xing Wu spoke, but the situation then was entirely different! Long Jianlu hadn't even touched Feixun...

Even if Feixun had pulled out his gun at that moment, Long Jianlu could have easily defused the situation. But the flash came from a pocket on the chest of his windbreaker – a remote-controlled bomb that Feixun had placed there earlier that morning!

In the face of impending death, Long Jianlu still managed to activate his ability. As shrapnel flew, he turned sideways, grabbed the front of his windbreaker, and ripped it open. Time slowed as the flames blossomed in the air, and his reflexes protected his vital organs. The explosion veered off course, sparing his upper body from being torn apart. Instead, the small bursts of light were propelled twenty centimeters away from his body as the windbreaker shredded.

A deafening boom echoed!

Long Jianlu fell to the ground, his abdomen and left ribcage pierced by shrapnel, leaving a bloody mess.

Feixun turned and dashed onto the road the instant he detonated the bomb, beginning his swift escape.

"Long Jianlu!" Yaoguang screamed at the top of his lungs, rushing towards the fallen Long Jianlu.