Chapter 33: Left Brain vs. Right Brain Battle

Chapter 33: Left Brain vs. Right Brain

Showing off feels great for a moment.

Outside the door, the night breeze was gentle, and the round moon in the sky had to be a light bulb. The expensive green plants grew well in the artificial greenhouse. Qin Shu stood with his arms crossed, staring ahead calmly.

He thought to himself: As expected, I shouldn't have come to a place like this. The moment I got here, it feels like everyone's picking a fight with me.

Whether it was those two little idiots, the Empress behind them, or Li Wuya, who seemed to offend everyone just by breathing.

He opened his terminal and sent a message.

"Kongtong Bu Yue 7432: Hello, boss.

Kongtong Bu Yue 7432: Boss, are you there?"

No response for a while. Qin Shu thought about it and decided to get even right then and there.

He had to go pick a fight with the Empress. If she hadn't invited him for a "little chat" today, none of this would have happened!

Qin Shu flagged down a servant.

"Where is Her Majesty?" he asked.

The servant stammered: "Sorry, Colonel! I'm not sure..."

Alright.

Qin Shu patted his shoulder to say it was okay, turned and pushed open the banquet hall door again.

Golden light poured into the night. The hall instantly fell silent once more, the guests frozen like statues. His red-lined cloak flaring, Qin Shu walked over to the two pale princes.

"Do you know where Her Majesty is?"

The girl was lying in the guard's arms, a patch on her temple. Her voice was weak: "E-East side, the Star Emerald Hall. Mother is meeting a guest..."

"Got it."

Qin Shu left without another word.

As he walked, he mused: Just a little scare and they fall apart. Are royal guides really that delicate?

-

He snagged another young guard to lead him to the Star Emerald Hall.

The guard said they'd need a shuttle. Qin Shu said that was too much hassle. "Just point the way—I can walk faster than a car."

The guard gestured: left, right, straight, then right, left, turn around, turn again...

This palace was a constant test of Qin Shu's patience.

Fed up, he grabbed the young guard by the collar, stomped, and leaped into the air.

In four or five seconds, with a couple of moves, he was perched atop a tall tree. Qin Shu held the stunned guard with an air of authority: "Which way first? Don't forget to guide me."

The night here was fake too, because the entire palace was built inside a hollowed-out meteorite. At "night," the artificial lights on the high dome went out, making it easier for Qin Shu to stay hidden.

Oddly enough, the palace security didn't seem that tight—at least not for Qin Shu. Even though the young guard kept muttering, "Careful not to set off the alarms," Qin Shu hadn't triggered a single one.

And even if he did, so what? He was just a regular guest walking on his own two feet!

The scenery streamed by like water, the corridor shadows like a shroud. Only the occasional rustle of leaves in the wind could be heard.

The guards on duty frowned instinctively but sensed nothing unusual. The diligent gardener looked up in confusion, but only saw the lush leaves shaking with a rustle.

When they reached the edge of the palace, Qin Shu slowed down, and the young guard, who had been clutching his cloak tightly, finally let out a sigh of relief.

He had become Qin Shu's newest fanboy: "Colonel, you're awesome!"

Qin Shu put on a deep, pretentious tone: "In martial arts, speed is the only thing that can't be defeated."

"That line is awesome too!" The fanboy was excited.

"Straight ahead is the Star Emerald Hall. It's a bit out of the way, Colonel. What are you going there for?"

Qin Shu was about to say he was going to see the Empress when he suddenly felt something was wrong.

Someone, an enemy—

No.

Why is he here?

His relaxed expression turned solemn, his feet stopping before his mind could catch up.

The young guard asked in confusion, "What's wrong, Colonel?" Qin Shu looked at the faintly visible hall ahead.

"That Emerald Hall or whatever, is that it?" Qin Shu asked.

"Yes, Col—"

Just as if in a daze, Qin Shu vanished without a trace.

"Thank you, I'll go first. You can head back."

Only those words were left behind.

-

An incredibly familiar "feeling."

Li Wuya's feeling.

Li Wuya was good at concealing himself. If he wanted to, no one could find him.

On the battlefield, Qin Shu could, but he had once thought it was due to years of tacit understanding and habit. Only recently did he learn about the existence of a deep bond.

But no matter how ambiguous it was to be familiar with another person's mental domain, Li Wuya's unique frequency and fluctuation were indeed imprinted in Qin Shu's instincts.

In moments requiring combat coordination, when direction was needed on the battlefield, and at this moment.

Instinctive tension, suppressed killing intent, restrained... anger?

—Li Wuya in wartime mode.

With whom?

There were no guards at the front of the Star Emerald Hall. Qin Shu spread out his perception.

Foyer, side hall, corridor...

His normal perception came to an abrupt halt when it probed into the main hall.

"Psychic suppression device." This is the imperial palace, no doubt about it.

Qin Shu slipped around to the side corridor, moving as quietly as he could. The windows were made of some kind of one-way crystal, so from outside, you could only make out blurry shapes.

White clothes, a pool of red.

—Why is he here?

Before he even knew what he was doing, Qin Shu had shattered the window and burst in.

-

The moment the crystal exploded, his boots hit the floor of the Star Emerald Hall.

The ceiling of this side hall was carved from one solid piece of natural crystal. Cold artificial light poured down from above, making the floor gleam silver.

But what Qin Shu noticed first was the blood.

Winding streaks, scattered drops, splashes on the pillars—against the silver-white floor, it looked almost reflective, an unreal deep red.

Then he saw the psychic suppression device.

Of the four pillars at the hall's corners, three still emitted a faint blue glow. A faint hum buzzed in the air, like needles stabbing your eardrums.

A psychic suppression field for Sentinels?

Bodies were scattered everywhere, looked like imperial guards. Weapons were strewn about. The Empress was lying still under the east pillar, her platinum-white gown soaked through with blood. Her breathing was steady, so the wounds weren't fatal.

He only looked at her for a second before Qin Shu turned to the figure at the center of the hall.

Li Wuya stood right at the edge of the moonlight.

He was wearing the same white military dress uniform as Qin Shu was today.

But you could barely tell what color it used to be. Big patches of deep red had soaked through the white, blood oozing from his shoulder down to his waist. The fabric over his stomach was ripped open, and his right arm hung weird, the sleeve bulging in a strange way.

Blood from several wounds was streaming down, forming red puddles at his feet.

Li Wuya turned his head.

The moonlight lit up his whole face, blood trickling from his brow. His expression was weirdly calm.

"A Shu."

He looked at Qin Shu, who had shown up unplanned, stepping into the moonlight. He said hi like nothing was wrong.

He paused.

"Sorry, don't worry... they're not dead, and I'm okay." He added, a little late.

-

Li Wuya tried to step closer, and his boots squelched through the blood puddles.

A wet, sticky sound. His right hand slid down in a grotesque way.

He glanced at it, face unchanged, then grabbed his right wrist and snapped it back.

A crack rang out. Pale bone shards poked out of the sleeve before being shoved back in.

Nothing, absolutely nothing, should get in the way of him talking to Qin Shu right now, okay?

"A Shu, I'm sorry," he said. "I was planning to keep lying to you."

Bloody footprints followed the moonlight, heading toward Qin Shu's patch of light.

"I really didn't believe I could keep you, so I thought—if the Empress kept pressuring me, putting me in danger... as long as I looked pitiful enough."

"I always thought pity was the easiest thing for me to get. That's stupid, isn't it?"

"Hmm."

Qin Shu actually answered.

He leaned into the moonlight by the broken window, his eyes just as bright as always.

"..."

Li Wuya's mouth twitched, tugging at the wound on his forehead, and more blood dripped down.

"But the Empress seems to want you. She treats you like a tool," Li Wuya said softly. "I've known this for a long time, but today, seeing this hall built to suppress Sentinels, I couldn't take it."

"A Shu, I can't take this anymore. I suddenly figured out what the problem is."

Blood still dripped. His right arm slipped outward again, and Li Wuya irritably grabbed his right wrist with his left hand, yanking it off entirely, holding it like a piece of trash.

He stopped three steps away.

"It's all my fault. I tied you to me out there, trapped your freedom, when choosing me or not should've been your choice."

"I'm sorry, truly sorry. Let's end all of this tonight, okay? I'll take care of the source, I'll tell you everything. A Shu, look at me one more time. And then..."

He lifted his gaze to meet Qin Shu's eyes. His cold, dark eyes seemed to shatter into a thousand pieces, with a gentle tide inside.

"And then, please, leave the capital, A Shu."

Li Wuya heard himself say this.

-

That wasn't the original plan.

These past days, Li Wuya had been busy and dazed.

Thinking of Qin Shu, reflecting, dealing with external pressure; thinking of Qin Shu, reflecting, handling pressure from the royal family; thinking of Qin Shu, reflecting, persuading others to join him against the Empress.

Then thinking of Qin Shu again.

Reflecting again.

It didn't matter if he didn't understand—whatever Qin Shu said was right. Repeating Qin Shu's words ten thousand times, he would fully grasp his own mistakes.

First, three years ago, after the deep link, he should have confessed everything. Second, coming to the capital, he shouldn't have dragged Qin Shu into the mire with lies. Then the marriage, and all those clever deceptions and tests.

Almost every step was wrong.

He shouldn't have done this. He should have knelt from the start, been honest from the start. The power was and always is in Qin Shu's hands alone.

How could he hinder Qin Shu's freedom?

Following this line of thought, everything became much smoother.

How to make amends?

Since he caused it, he should eliminate everything that hinders Qin Shu's freedom—starting with himself. Prepare everything, use a gentler method to let the obedient next Empress take the throne, and then tomorrow—

He meant that on the day the deep link was broken, he would tell Qin Shu everything clearly.

And then, whether Qin Shu forgave him or not, he would definitely follow Qin Shu.

Wherever Qin Shu went, he had to be right behind him. He couldn't accept a life without being able to see Qin Shu. Absolutely not—even as a ghost, he would have to cling to Qin Shu's back...

Unfortunately, the Empress had walked right into the line of fire.

The entire hall—reserved for Sentinels, equipped with the latest mental suppression field. Countless eyes and the energy fluctuations of countless weapons—Li Wuya knew it was a trap the moment he stepped in, but he still walked inside.

If the Empress wanted to use Sentinel tactics against him, he would use human tactics against her.

Make her hurt, make her fear, make her...

The Empress said, "General, why don't we cooperate? The universe is boundless. A Sentinel like Colonel Qin is best kept safe in the capital."

His wandering thoughts snapped back, and in an instant, everything was sucked into a vacuum.

The Empress—Qi Donghua.

How... how dare she?

A Shu said he was arrogant. A Shu said he was pitiful. Now Li Wuya understood a little.

The pitiful part was that he could only debase himself endlessly in front of Qin Shu, turn everything into a disaster, and then savor the miserable scraps as if they were sweet. But Li Wuya was indeed arrogant.

Apart from him, who else—what other creatures—had the right?

To meddle, to judge, to restrict?

When he came to his senses, he had already grabbed the Empress by the throat.

The suppression field had been activated, and countless energy weapons were aimed at him.

They must have studied A Shu's fighting style. A Shu's style was bold and unrestrained, charging forward without looking back—indeed, it first and foremost required effective control.

In his sluggish perception, barely able to feel even grief or pain, Li Wuya belatedly felt anger.

Of course, he eventually let go. Killing was too disgraceful, and he had promised not to kill. He had to keep that promise. If he wanted to be forgiven, he had to keep every single one.

He spared these people's lives, spared Qi Donghua's life, and spared his own life.

Then Qin Shu arrived.

Unexpected, but maybe it was only natural. Li Wuya's chaotic mind could not process what was happening at that moment. He only thought, "How wonderful."

He came through the moonlight, just like back then, and Qin Shu saved him once again.

Perhaps A Shu intended to resolve things tonight?

Then he brought the topic up earlier.

It was indeed a bit of a mess, but many things were instinctive. For example, the moment he sensed Qin Shu approaching the hall, Li Wuya stabbed himself in the abdomen without a second thought.

He shouldn't have done that. He needed to correct it.

Guilt welled up from this, and the words were already prepared. He spoke in greater detail and more gently.

He now felt that opening up to Qin Shu was also good. As long as he could be in Qin Shu's sight, anything was good—and he even got a reaction from Qin Shu!

If only I could always follow him—

"Please leave the capital, A Shu."

No.

That's not what I meant.

Under the moonlight, blood dripped in a trail. Li Wuya gripped his own hand, his face showing nothing as he spoke obediently.

"I can't control the urge to know everything about you. If you're too close, I'll find every excuse to cross your boundaries. I am this kind of person, and I can't truly change myself in a short time."

Wrong. Wrong. I shouldn't say that. These words shouldn't be spoken!

Qin Shu looked at him.

"Sever the connection, leave the capital, start a new life, new friendships, a new... partner. I hope—I mean, it's better if I don't know her."

No, no, not like this, I can't, I mustn't...

But Qin Shu was watching him. How could he betray Qin Shu's expectations?

"It doesn't matter, as long as A Shu is happy. I can never control myself properly, and I'm sorry for everything. But I will manage to lock my own information source within the capital."

...What was he even saying?

Li Wuya suspected his mind was broken. Every time he met Qin Shu's eyes, his sanity cracked.

Blood trailed in a winding path, a red footprint taking one more step forward.

Qin Shu shifted his gaze slightly downward. The moonlight reflected in his eyes as two silvery orbs.

Sensing the cold force field, the downward gaze made Li Wuya feel as if he'd been injected with anesthetic.

He began to fade out again.

"So, sever the deep link," Li Wuya said softly. "A Shu, don't worry. I'll live on, because dying would make you sad."

"—That's the only thought I can cling to."

As these words fell, Li Wuya could only feel despair.

He hadn't wanted to confess like this at all. His confession wasn't supposed to be like this.

Could Qin Shu stop looking at him? He had absolutely no desire to be separated from Qin Shu—it was all ruined.

In his despair, the stars dimmed, the silver-white hall darkened, flickering static danced before his eyes, and the ringing in his ears intensified.

Qin Shu gave you such a long time, Qin Shu gave you such a perfect chance, and this is how you repay it? You say such ugly words?

If Qin Shu truly got angry, truly left, truly turned away without looking back, if Qin Shu took his words to heart and became disappointed, truly vanished into the depths of the universe—

Maybe he should just die here? The blood was still flowing now; he still had a chance to splash it onto Qin Shu.

Silence was an extended torture.

His gaze slowly lifted to those ever-bright eyes.

Moonlight poured down from above, the blood lit by countless silver threads.

The black-haired sentinel, who had been listening with arms crossed throughout the entire mad speech, blinked, his expression one of utter bewilderment.

"What is wrong with you?" Qin Shu said.

The pool of blood spread wider, at last reaching Qin Shu's clean feet.