Chapter 55: The Never-Sleeping Imperial City 17 (1)

In the corner of the dressing chamber, on a hanger, hung a bright red robe embroidered with dragons and phoenixes for the groom. The patterns were sewn with gold thread, and the silk shimmered subtly, adorned with pearls and pendants that looked like jade—both elegant and splendid.

"Your Highness, it's getting late. Let me help you get dressed," said the paper servant girl to Xia Qi, who was sitting quietly nearby.

Xia Qi, deep in thought with his chin in his hand, slowly came back to reality upon hearing her words. His expression turned serious. "I understand. You may go out now."

"Oh." The paper servant girl, not very intelligent, obediently left upon Xia Qi's command.

Xia Qi approached the wedding robe, touched its lavish fabric, and sighed silently.

After a while, he put on the robe and pushed open the door.

"Surprise!"

As soon as he opened the door, countless red paper pieces and petals flew towards him, followed by several popping sounds as fireworks exploded overhead, showering him with glittering confetti.

Xia Qi wiped the paper pieces from his face and looked at the group standing by the door, speechless. "What is this about?"

"Of course, it's to celebrate!" Sister Hong threw the spent firework behind her, smiling warmly. "This is my first time being a bridesmaid; I'm so nervous."

She wore a bright red dress today, with a red flower in her hair. Xia Qi looked at her attire and thought, are you sure you're a bridesmaid and not a matchmaker?

Sister Hong only needed a mole on her face.

After Sister Hong spoke, Xiao Yu nervously touched the basket hanging from her wrist. "Mom, what does a flower girl do?"

"You don't need to do anything; just follow them and scatter flowers," Sister Hong said, looking at Xiao Yu with motherly affection.

Xia Qi shook his head helplessly and closed the door behind him.

Stepping out of the dressing chamber, Xia Qi looked up at the sun and moon in the sky.

Just as he had predicted, the sun and moon appeared even dimmer today, their edges blurred, almost blending into the night sky.

Xia Qi felt a sense of unease. No wonder Night Emperor planned to hold the wedding ceremony today.

Because of the wedding, red lanterns hung everywhere inside and outside the palace, and every household had brought out all their lamps to light them up.

The collective effort was impressive. The entire Nightless City glowed like a fiery dragon, and countless sky lanterns formed a river of stars in the night sky.

Xia Qi led Sister Hong and Xiao Yu towards the palace gate. When they were near the golden archway, he asked, "Are we all ready?"

"Everyone in the city will be here tonight," Sister Hong whispered softly.

Her joyful expression turned tense when Xia Qi mentioned the final challenge. "Tonight is the decisive battle. We must win against the Sky Watchers."

Xia Qi nodded solemnly, knowing the method to pass the level. Now, the Sky Watchers should be more anxious than he was.

His only concern was that the Sky Watchers might become desperate.

When they reached the right golden archway, Sister Hong stopped and hesitantly asked, "And you, are you ready?"

Xia Qi paused.

He understood what Sister Hong meant.

She wasn't asking if he was prepared for the final challenge but if he was ready to accept the outcome of the scenario.

"I am ready." Looking at the tall, closed palace gates, Xia Qi pursed his lips. He wouldn't give up on Night Emperor and Grandma until the very end.

Unless...

While Xia Qi was thinking, Sister Hong ordered someone to open the archway. As soon as the door opened, Xia Qi was instantly surrounded by countless red paper pieces and pulled into a sea of cheering people.

"Aahh!" The crowd stood outside the Triple Bridge, screaming towards Xia Qi.

"Moon Goddess!" Women clenched their fists tightly, tears streaming down their faces.

"Heaven above, Night Emperor has been asleep for a thousand years, and he's finally getting married!" This was the men's sympathetic voice for Night Emperor's millennium-long celibacy.

Xia Qi steeled himself and walked out through the archway.

A soft red carpet lay outside the archway. As he stepped out, drums and firecrackers sounded loudly. When he reached the Triple Bridge, beautiful fireworks suddenly exploded dozens of meters high in the air. These white-green jasmine-shaped fireworks bloomed continuously, scattering pretty petals.

Xia Qi's eyes moistened slightly as he gazed at the jasmine flowers in the sky.

These were... Grandma's favorite jasmine flowers.

Xia Qi held back his tears, slowly turning around to look at the man opposite him.

Night Emperor emerged from the left archway. By the time Xia Qi walked out from the right archway, Night Emperor was already waiting for him on the left.

The tall man wore a matching wedding robe, but unlike Xia Qi, who exuded a casual elegance, Night Emperor's imposing figure and commanding presence made the red robe seem grand and majestic, unable to hide his innate nobility.

His thick eyebrows were like brush strokes, and his eyes, dark as ink, looked particularly deep as he gazed at Xia Qi.

"Come, come to me." Night Emperor stood opposite him, extending his hand.

Xia Qi looked into his eyes, walking step by step towards him, extending his own hand to clasp Night Emperor's.

At the moment their hands touched, Xia Qi suddenly saw a faint light flash near the Triple Bridge.

The light slowly descended from mid-air, eventually landing on the ground, forming a short, hunched old woman.

The old woman still wore her green jasmine-embroidered cotton jacket, a black hat on her head, and a brown scarf around her neck.

Unlike before, the old woman's left hand was now very swollen, and she held it with her right hand, looking strained.

However, today was Xia Qi's joyous day, and because of her overwhelming happiness, the wrinkles on her face gathered into a familiar, loving expression as she looked at Xia Qi.

Tears flowed uncontrollably down Xia Qi's face the moment he saw Grandma.

"Come." Night Emperor tightened his grip on Xia Qi's hand and led him to Grandma, saying, "Grandma, I've brought Xia Qi over."

"Good, good." Grandma's smile widened, her eyes glistening with tears as she choked out, "I see that Qi-bao has gotten married; I'm so happy."

Seeing Grandma's familiar face, Xia Qi immediately knelt down.

The brown scarf around Grandma's neck was the same one used to cover her face when she passed away.

And the black hat with cloud patterns on Grandma's head was the one he had personally placed on her.

Xia Qi hugged her shoulders, burying his head in her neck, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Grandma... I miss you so much."

Thinking of every Laba Festival, he would cry into his porridge, unable to take even a single bite.

He didn't know why before, but now he remembered—it was because that day was Grandma's anniversary.

Grandma raised her intact right hand, gently stroking his head and said softly, "Silly child, today is your big day. Don't cry; Grandma is happy for you."

With tears streaming down his face, Xia Qi looked up, touching Grandma's swollen left arm, choking out, "Grandma, does your arm still hurt?"

"It doesn't hurt anymore." Grandma looked down at him with a sense of peace. "Grandma doesn't feel pain anymore."

Hearing this, Xia Qi's tears flowed like a broken dam. Grandma no longer felt pain because she had already passed away, beyond any sensation.

Xia Qi held Grandma with his right hand and Night Emperor with his left.

In that moment, he felt his heart fill with warmth.

Looking at Grandma and the crowd behind her, he finally understood the significance of Nightless City.

Nightless City is a city built upon the wishes of the departed.

All those who died with unfulfilled wishes remain here, waiting for someone to fulfill them. Here, the wicked will be judged, and the good will meet their deceased loved ones for one last time.

Grandma's wish was to see Xia Qi get married, which is why Xia Qi encountered her in the Nightless City replica.

After Grandma Meng was killed by the Tianji's formation, Night Emperor reminded Xia Qi that Grandma could return. From then on, Xia Qi guessed that Grandma was reborn through her wish.

As long as he fulfilled Grandma's wish, she would reappear.

Xia Qi, holding Grandma with one hand and Night Emperor with the other, slowly stood up.

"The ceremony isn't finished yet; let's continue." Xia Qi struggled to stand firm.

"Alright." Night Emperor looked at him tenderly, leading him forward along the red carpet.

He held his hand tightly, as if he had always been there, silently supporting him.

Grandma sat in the high seat, and Xia Qi and Night Emperor composed themselves, each offering her a cup of tea.

Grandma smiled broadly as she drank both cups of tea, never closing her mouth from smiling at the couple.

[Ding! Side quest "Grandma Meng's Wish" progress +50%! Total side quest progress: 100%.]

[Ding! Exorcist's enlightenment value: +100, total enlightenment value: 400.]

In an instant, completing the side quest pushed the Exorcist's enlightenment value to 400, far surpassing the Tianji's 315. Even if the instance ended immediately, the Exorcist would win.

Hearing the enlightenment value update, Xia Qi clenched his fists, anxiously looking at Grandma, fearing she might disappear like other quest targets.

However, Grandma did not vanish; she remained seated in the high chair.

Grandma solemnly took Night Emperor's hand and began to chatter, "Good boy, my Qi-bao's happiness for the rest of his life is in your hands..."

Xia Qi: "..."

The Grandma before him was his real grandmother. Faced with the only family member's instructions, Night Emperor wished he could show his heart to Grandma. He nodded vigorously, saying earnestly, "Grandma, I'll entrust my heart to him."

Grandma was momentarily stunned by Night Emperor's words, so weighty that she didn't know what to say.

She then nodded and said, "You're a good boy; I can trust you."

Xia Qi looked at Night Emperor with a peculiar expression.

Sister Hong, serving as the bridesmaid, followed closely behind Xia Qi. After hearing the conversation between Xia Qi and Grandma, her eyes never left Xiao Yu, who was playing the flower girl, almost tripping while walking.

"Sister Hong, are you alright?" Xia Qi turned back, subtly supporting her.

"Xiao Yu... Xiao Yu she..."

Sister Hong couldn't hold back and started crying softly.

"Wah wah wah." Tears and snot covered her face; Xia Qi had never seen her so disheveled.

Just as Sister Hong was sobbing uncontrollably, a yellow talisman arrow suddenly flew towards them. Xia Qi pulled Sister Hong aside, dodging the attack.

"The Tianjis are here!"

Sure enough, the Tianjis arrived with great fanfare. A black whirlwind carrying countless talismans swept towards the crowd in the square.

Judging by the Tianjis' grand entrance, they intended to use the wedding to capture all the zombies and gain enlightenment points.

Xia Qi and Sister Hong looked up, coldly watching the black whirlwind in the sky.

The final battle had arrived.

As the two of them were about to pull out their props and give it their all, a person appeared above the black whirlwind. This person had a golden ball hovering above their head, flying in their direction.

Xia Qi looked closely and realized that the person hanging in the sky was Cha Gong.

Sister Hong wiped her face, ready to engage at any moment.

"Xia Qi, how could you get married here!" Cha Gong glared resentfully at Xia Qi and Night Emperor, acting as if he were an ex-boyfriend come to ruin the wedding.

Sister Hong, who was about to attack, paused for a moment and couldn't help but mutter under her breath, "How is he also love-struck?"

Xia Qi: "..."

So, who is the other person?

Before Xia Qi could speak, Sister Hong, unable to tolerate Cha Gong's incessant chatter, charged forward with her thunder whip.

When Cha Gong arrived riding the black whirlwind, the zombie crowd dispersed orderly without any chaos.

Xia Qi observed them carefully and noticed that everyone looked calm, as if someone was directing them.

Since there was no stampede on the square, none of the zombies were affected by the black whirlwind.

Seeing the orderly crowd, Xia Qi suddenly had a flash of insight and turned to look at Night Emperor.

Night Emperor's eyes, dark like ink, had turned red, and strange patterns began to appear on his face. He was facing the square, muttering something under his breath.

Xia Qi suddenly realized that Night Emperor was controlling everyone's retreat.

Sister Hong had already rushed to the front of the black whirlwind. Using some method, she leaped high into the air and swung her lightning-infused thunder whip, aiming for Cha Gong's face.

Just as the whip was about to hit Cha Gong, the scar-faced man suddenly appeared behind him, grabbing Sister Hong's whip and sneering, "You bitch is asking for it!"

After saying this, he swung his powerful fist down at Sister Hong.

After escaping from Sister Hong's whip, Cha Gong, with a grim expression, manipulated the whirlwind towards Xia Qi.

Xia Qi looked up at him and pulled out his trident from the system backpack.

Taking this opportunity, he wanted to test the power of the Level 1 trident.

"Item Name: Trident (Bound)."

"Usage Effect: Listen, the sound of the sea crying! Small sadness has great power; your tears can break the heart of the Sea King. Just whimper, and the Sea King will send marine creatures to avenge you."

"Level: LV1."

"Other Notes: You are the Sea King's man! Please note, you are not the Sea King, but the Sea King's man!"

With tears still on his face, Xia Qi raised the trident and forced out a cry.

"Wah."

As soon as his voice fell, a beam of light emerged from the tip of the trident.

Feeling the trident's vibration, Xia Qi swung the beam of light towards Cha Gong.

"Boom!"

The beam landed nearby, and a loud explosion echoed. Amidst the dust, a massive figure suddenly fell from Cha Gong's black whirlwind, creating a deep pit upon impact.

After a while, a bald black head slowly emerged from the pit.

Xia Qi was stunned. He had expected the trident to summon shrimp soldiers or crab generals, but instead, the Sea King sent an octopus!

The octopus, an NPC with combat power second only to the Sea King in the Crystal Sea Pearl instance, had faced Xia Qi several times but had never been killed.

"Wah wah wah, why am I here?" The familiar voice of the octopus rang out as he wriggled his seven tentacles and climbed out of the pit.

Once the octopus steadied himself, he saw Xia Qi holding the trident in the distance and froze, emitting a bizarre scream, "Xia Qi, how could it be you?"

Seeing the situation was urgent, Xia Qi didn't have time to reminisce with the octopus. He raised his hand, pointed at Cha Gong and the scar-faced man on the black whirlwind, and shouted, "Capture them both, or I'll give you a bad review!"

Hearing the words "bad review," the octopus shuddered.

Xia Qi was the new Sea King's man, and his orders were crucial. If he failed to complete the task, he might be killed immediately upon returning to the Crystal Sea Pearl instance.

The octopus trembled again, let out a loud roar, and swung his tentacles towards Cha Gong and the scar-faced man.

"Ahh!"

Caught by the terrifying tentacles as thick as pillars, Cha Gong fell directly from the black whirlwind.

The scar-faced man suffered even worse, being caught between Sister Hong and the octopus. He was knocked to the ground by the tentacle, and if not for his good physical condition, he would have been crushed by the octopus.

They thought they could gain an advantage with their newly developed mobile formation, but Xia Qi suddenly summoned an NPC with combat power comparable to a boss, instantly defeating them all.

In an instant, the situation changed. Cha Gong and the scar-faced man were repeatedly battered by the octopus's terrifying tentacles, spitting blood, and even the controller of the formation was dragged out by the octopus.

After subduing the three, the octopus presented them to Xia Qi like a prize, smiling ingratiatingly, "Sir, please give me a five-star review."

"Sure." Xia Qi agreed generously.

Looking at the trident in Xia Qi's hand, Cha Gong was dumbfounded, murmuring, "How... do you still have an S-grade item..."

He had assumed Xia Qi only had a powerful magic wand and had specifically equipped himself and the scar-faced man for the confrontation. But Xia Qi had obtained another S-grade item!

Even more terrifying was that this S-grade item could summon an NPC?

This is like cheating, damn it!

Just as Xia Qi was about to deal with Cha Gong and the others, Sister Hong suddenly shouted, "Xia Qi! Be careful!"

Feeling a gust of wind by his side, as if someone was rushing toward him, Xia Qi nimbly sidestepped, narrowly avoiding the Financial Man wielding a knife.

The Financial Man, somehow having sneaked near the Triple Bridge, laughed sinisterly when Xia Qi raised his trident to counterattack. He then turned and ran toward the Scarred Man.

Upon reaching the Scarred Man, the Financial Man hesitated not for a moment before stabbing him in the stomach.

"Ah!"

A bloody hole instantly appeared in the Scarred Man's belly. Cha Gong was shocked and shouted at the Financial Man, "Didn't we make a deal? What are you doing?"

"Fool, you thought a mere recovery potion could buy me? Oh, and the oath charm you put on me doesn't work." The Financial Man was a cunning old swindler who could deceive both people and ghosts alike.

He wasn't some naive newbie; he knew that clearing the game was more important than risking his life for others. He still needed his teammates to survive, so there was no way he would follow Cha Gong's orders to attack Xia Qi and Sister Hong.

Cha Gong glared at the Financial Man. "Why didn’t the oath charm work on you? Could it be you have a hidden attribute?"

"You're right." The Financial Man nodded and grinned smugly. "I'm immune to oaths."

Due to his exceptional deceitful skills, he had gained a hidden attribute upon entering the game.

As he deceived more people, his attribute grew stronger. After Cha Gong gave him the "Regeneration Fluid" and tried to control him with an oath charm to kill Xia Qi, it failed due to his hidden attribute.

Cha Gong hadn't expected to fail again with one of Xia Qi's teammates. Looking at the Financial Man's revolting face, Cha Gong laughed bitterly. "What I gave you wasn't a recovery potion but Regeneration Fluid."

"What is Regeneration Fluid?" Since the Financial Man had only recently upgraded from intermediate to advanced player, he didn't know what this high-level item was.

"Feel your legs." Cha Gong smirked at him.

Following his words, the Financial Man suddenly felt a tingling sensation in his legs. Taking two steps forward, he suddenly lost strength in his legs and collapsed to the ground.

It was over; he had been tricked!

The Financial Man's face flushed with anger as he yelled at Cha Gong, "You bastard, you tricked me! I'll kill you!"

"You're the liar!" Cha Gong retorted.

The two liars continued to hurl insults at each other, neither backing down, and neither gaining the upper hand.

"The probability of the Sky Seer faction failing is 99%; the instance is about to end..."

With this system announcement, the light from the sun and moon in the night sky suddenly dimmed.

Suddenly, darkness enveloped the Nightless City from all directions, leaving only a few lanterns glowing faintly in the night.

Xia Qi ignored the bickering duo and ran straight to the Night Emperor, asking anxiously, "Is the Nightless City... going to collapse?"

The Night Emperor looked at him with a wistful expression and slowly nodded. "Moon God, they are all yours now."

By "they," he meant the crowd of zombies standing in the square.

Xia Qi took out the glowing Moon God Lamp from his backpack, feeling a pang of reluctance.

He pursed his lips and asked again, "Is this your wish?"

"My wish is you," the Night Emperor said, placing his large hand over Xia Qi's left hand.

With his arrival, the Night Emperor's wish had been fulfilled.

Since the Nightless City was built upon his wish, without that support, it would be dissolved by the rules.

The Moon God Lamp in Xia Qi's hands gradually grew larger until it returned to its original size and floated above the Triple Bridge.

As the bridge was illuminated by the Moon God Lamp, the corridor stones slowly revealed three characters:

Bridge of Helplessness.

The zombie crowd, upon seeing the Moon God Lamp, gathered around the bridge, their expressions calm and resigned, as if they had anticipated this outcome.

"Why... why?" Watching the crowd's serene demeanor, Xia Qi voiced his confusion.

"Their wishes are my wishes," the Night Emperor squeezed his palm gently, his voice softer than the moonlight.

After he fell into eternal slumber in the underground tomb, which became the Nightless City, he worried about the safety of his people and thus created a utopia for the departed souls.

The departed souls lived carefree lives in the Nightless City for many years, eventually forgetting where they came from and where they were headed.

Over time, their wishes changed, becoming the Night Emperor's wishes.

Now that his wish had been fulfilled, they had no regrets.

Looking at the familiar profile of the Night Emperor, Xia Qi was momentarily stunned.

He wondered, was the Night Emperor's wish truly just to see him?

Under the soft glow of the Moon God Lamp, the Bridge of Helplessness shimmered with a faint light. The crowd formed a line, walking calmly onto the bridge, and as they reached the end, they faded away as shadows.

"Ding! Extinguisher's purification value: +100, total purification value: 500."

"Ding! Extinguisher's purification value: +100, total purification value: 600."

"Ding! Extinguisher's purification value: +100, total purification value: 700."

...

As the crowd gradually disappeared, the system announcements sounded like critical hits, pushing the Extinguisher's value to an unprecedented 10,000.

Hearing these sounds, Cha Gong's face grew increasingly grim.

The Oracle has finally lost.

"Turns out, both the Oracle and the Light Extinguisher were sent by the Law. I was mistaken; I admit defeat, hahaha..." Cha Gong burst into laughter, tears streaming down his face.

Lin had tasked him with killing Xia Qi, but not only did he fail, he also lost the game once again.

Xia Qi looked at the hysterically laughing Cha Gong and said coldly, "The reason you lost the game is that you were being played by it. You never understood its true meaning."

The Oracle and the Light Extinguisher sounded like opposing factions in a competition, but in reality, their missions were aligned: to transform everything in Nightless City according to the power of the Law.

Because, there should be no need for Nightless City's existence in this world. It harbored the departed, violating the natural order.

The Oracle thought that killing alone could win the game, unaware that from the start, the game had told them that transformation was the key to victory.

Hearing this, Cha Gong’s face turned ashen as he stared at Xia Qi.

More and more people disappeared from the bridgehead, leaving only Financial Man's family, Xiao Yu, and Grandma.

The zombie boy stepped onto the bridge first, smiling at Xia Qi and Sister Hong, sincerely saying, "Thank you."

His family had been swindled by Financial Man, leading to his untimely death due to lack of funds for treatment.

What he truly wanted wasn't Financial Man's death, but to see him suffer. Unexpectedly, Xia Qi helped fulfill his wish, making Financial Man a victim of Cha Gong's deception and leaving him crippled. Thinking about Financial Man's future misery, the zombie boy felt content and willingly accepted his transformation.

After the zombie boy and his family vanished on the bridge, Sister Hong became visibly nervous.

"Xiao Yu!" Sister Hong knelt on the ground, clutching Xiao Yu tightly, her eyes brimming with tears as she pleaded, "Xia Qi, can we not transform her? Please?"

Xia Qi frowned and said regretfully, "Sister Hong... you know that even if Xiao Yu isn't transformed, she will disappear along with Nightless City."

"Ahhh!" Sister Hong let out a heart-wrenching scream, "I want my daughter! I won't leave without her!"

"Mama, I'm so happy to see you again." Xiao Yu gently stroked Sister Hong's hair and smiled softly, "Seeing Mama fulfills my wish."

"No! Mama won't let you disappear! I won't go!" Sister Hong clung to Xiao Yu, sobbing uncontrollably.

However, her cries did nothing to stop Nightless City's collapse. The distant lights grew dimmer, and an endless darkness spread like a dense web across the square outside the palace.

Xia Qi could feel a cold wind blowing from afar, carrying the scent of fresh air. This wind seemed foreign to the underground Nightless City.

Time was running out.

Xia Qi clenched his teeth and approached Grandma.

Grandma seemed to have anticipated Xia Qi's choice, smiling at him, "My dear Qi, you've grown up."

"Grandma, you used to lead me when we walked. This time... let me lead you." Xia Qi spoke softly, looking at Grandma with reluctance.

Grandma nodded quietly, placing her right hand in Xia Qi's.

Xia Qi held Grandma's hand, and before he could reach for Night Emperor, Night Emperor had already taken his hand.

"I'll accompany you," he said, looking at Xia Qi with a glint in his eyes.

"Alright."

Xia Qi held Grandma's hand with one hand and Night Emperor's with the other, walking together onto the Bridge of Helplessness.

Just as they reached the end of the bridge, Night Emperor suddenly stopped, grabbing Xia Qi's hand and pressing it against his chest, saying, "Moon God, I promised your grandma to give my heart to you."

"You..." Xia Qi tried to refuse, but Night Emperor firmly pressed his hand into the opening in his chest.

As Xia Qi's hand entered Night Emperor's chest, it touched something hot, similar to the Moon God Lamp.

Realizing what it was, Xia Qi's face changed, and his right hand began to tremble.

"Take it out," Night Emperor said, looking up at him with a gentle smile.

"...No." A familiar sense of despair washed over him. Once the Sun God Lamp was removed, Nightless City would truly collapse, and Night Emperor would vanish with it.

"Don't be afraid," Night Emperor caressed Xia Qi's face, gazing at him tenderly, "I promised to give my heart to you."

As darkness crept closer to the Bridge of Helplessness, Sister Hong was crying and backing away with Xiao Yu. Xia Qi looked around at the endless darkness, feeling a chill in his heart.

Night Emperor urgently pressed Xia Qi's hand deeper into the opening, causing his palm to touch the Sun God Lamp.

Xia Qi dared not grasp the Sun God Lamp, but Night Emperor held his wrist and pulled his hand out.

Unfortunately, the Sun God Lamp seemed to stick to Xia Qi's hand, emerging despite his reluctance.

As the Sun God Lamp was removed, Night Emperor's face lost its color, developing a bluish-purple hue, beginning to resemble the other zombies.

Watching his eyes lose focus, Xia Qi's heart ached, and he shouted his deepest question, "Who are you, really?"

Darkness had engulfed the Bridge of Helplessness, leaving only the faint glow of the Moon God Lamp and the Sun God Lamp. The Moon God Lamp slowly floated toward Night Emperor.

Night Emperor did not answer Xia Qi's question. He held the Moon God Lamp belonging to Xia Qi and picked up Grandma from the ground, smiling at him as he slowly retreated toward the end of the bridge.

Grandma nestled in Night Emperor's arms, smiling at Xia Qi, "Qi, Grandma loves you."

"No—!!"

Watching his loved ones disintegrate at the end of the bridge, Xia Qi lunged forward, reaching out to grab their clothes, but the darkness swept too quickly. Before Night Emperor and Grandma vanished completely, Xia Qi's vision went black.

"I love you too."

Night Emperor's familiar voice faded in the cold wind.

In the darkness, Xia Qi, holding the Sun God Lamp, fell to the smooth ground.

"Ding dong! Congratulations to survivor Xia Qi for successfully clearing the game!"

[Ding dong! Congratulations to survivor Xia Qi for killing the boss of the "Nightless City" dungeon. Entering reward settlement...]

"Aaaaahhh—"

Xia Qi lay on the ground, tears continuously falling to the ground. He tightly hugged the warm lamp in his arms and let out a heart-wrenching roar.

Why was he always the boss? Why did he have to endure this pain?

Why was he trapped in every game?!

"Why? Who are you?" Xia Qi slammed his fist into the ground and shouted angrily, "What do I need to do to get you out of this damned game?!"

As he roared in anger, he felt himself becoming lighter. In no time, the familiar sensation of dizziness came over him once again.

In the distant darkness, two figures seemed to be drifting toward the riverbank where the flowers of hell bloomed, amidst a sky filled with swirling colorful petals. The voice of the Night Emperor echoed softly.

"My love, I who slept in the darkness knew nothing of love until the moment you appeared. My world was illuminated by your presence. You taught me what true feelings are. I wait at the end of the world for your love."

The bright Moon God lamp floated in the darkness, slowly moving toward a black abyss.

In the abyss, there was still that huge web of light.

The white, ethereal figure within the web had become clearer than before, but it looked sickly and lacked vitality.

Seeing the Moon God lamp fly back, he raised his hand and caught it helplessly.

The figure gave a self-mocking smile; Xia Qi's words, "You're sick," had dealt quite a blow to him.

Holding the warm Moon God lamp, he hesitated to open it.

He stared at the lamp for a long time, then suddenly took a deep breath, as if encouraging himself: "Forget it, what could be worse than [Xia Qi's Pity] and 'You're sick'?"

Forget it, might as well open it.

He shook his head and reluctantly opened the message from the Moon God lamp—

"Item: Xia Qi's Gratitude"

This good person card came completely unexpectedly.

Figure: "..."

Author's note: It can't get any worse, only worse.

Wedding skit:

Grandma: How can I believe you'll make Qi baby happy for the rest of his life?

Someone: Happy in the lower half of his life? Don't worry about that, I'm more worried about him...

Xia Qi: Cough, Grandma is asking about serious matters, don't talk nonsense.

Someone: Grandma, please rest assured, I've prepared a guarantee letter for you to review.

Grandma received the guarantee letter with both hands, and Xia Qi leaned over curiously to see golden letters written on the paper: "Guarantee Letter of Loving My Spouse."

"To honor loving my spouse and shame betrayal;

To honor cooking myself and shame making my spouse cook;

To honor handing over my paycheck and shame hiding money;

...

To honor obeying my spouse and shame disobeying her;

Guarantor: XX"

Grandma: You're truly a good child.