It was a steep cliff, and a man holding a long knife stood silently in front of the corpse of a giant purple-scaled dragon.
Snowflakes were falling all around, covering the huge dragon horns on the ground like silver dead branches. The man's legs and the long knife in his hand were deeply buried in the snow.
Lightning flashed, thunder roared, and there was a torrential downpour. Water instantly accumulated on the ground and then turned into ice.
How long did the man stand there? Three days and three nights.
I saw daybreak and night alternate behind him three times, like a fast-forward scene from a movie.
It also rained for three days.
It wasn't until he left that it stopped instantly, the clouds parting and the snow clearing.
Ao Chi has never cried, at least not since I have known him.
But I'm clear that those three days and nights of rain was him crying.
That heartfelt sorrow has never gone away until now.
He feels guilty for killing his blood brother with his own hand to this day.
This is his inner demon, this is the reason why he has been hiding and refuses to have another open confrontation with Ao Shuo, and it is also precisely the sore spot that Ao Shuo has been ruthlessly attacking all along.
Suddenly, I truly understood this man who always seemed condescending, did not take anyone or anything seriously, and who once let himself run amok.
Everyone's heart is made of flesh, and everyone's heart has been soft at some point.
This moment of "soul connection" between me and him made me hold him even tighter. I no longer felt the pain on my body; my only concern now was for him.
"Do you know, actually I never wanted to hurt anyone. I am a kind person who desires that the world guarded by our East China Sea Dragon Clan can be as perfect as I envision, with everyone being kind and loving each other. That is my ideal." Ao Shuo, like a shadow submerged in water, twisted his way to Ao Chi's ears, "But the more I strive for this, the more the problems it causes than solves. Little brother, you should understand me better than anyone, because we are the only pair of twin brothers in the East China Sea Dragon Clan. I hope you help me, help me eradicate the human parasites that should not exist in the world. I promise, the new world will be free from disasters, wars, and all the ugliness related to greed. Subverting the current world will make my ideal a reality. For the human race that constantly disappoints me, death is a new beginning."
"You lunatic! Madman! Madman! This world has never been as unbearable as you claim!" I was furious, not just because of this devil's bigoted views, but also because he continuously used their former brotherhood to confuse Ao Chi's mind. I vehemently refuted him, "Since you read books, you should know there's a saying, 'If there is goodness in the heart, there will be goodness in everything seen; if there is evil in the heart, everything seen will be evil.' You yourself have a twisted mind, and also hurt the innocent, even killing your relatives - the one who deserves to be eradicated the most is not others but you! Your ideal? To hell with your ideal! You can't even see the most precious things right in front of you, yet you have the nerve to talk about your ideal with others! You're short-sighted, and you should die ten thousand deaths for your sins!"
After a long, long silence, Ao Chi's laughter rang beneath me: "It seems like it's been a long time since you scolded someone like that. It's great to see the younger you again."
"Haha, you're wrong again." Ao Shuo looked at me disapprovingly and sneered, "Do you know what I want the Axis of Time to do?"
I was stunned. All I knew was that he considered destroying this world and annihilating the entire human race as his "ideal." Was he planning to blow up the Axis of Time and plunge the whole world into chaos?
"I don't need to do anything at all." He shrugged and wrote a number in the air with his finger - 100. "I just need to push the Axis of Time forward by a hundred years. With the current actions of humans, a hundred years from now, nations will fall, homes will crumble, ruins of war will be everywhere, earthquakes and floods will ravage the land, and the completely destroyed ecology will leave them in despair. Humans have always thought of themselves as the saviors of the world, but they're just ignorant cancer cells. In a hundred years, they will surely perish by their own hands. I'm just helping them expedite the process, nothing more. Tree Demon, dare you say that this world has never disappointed you? Since it's already a pile of garbage, why not thoroughly clean it up?"
He put in so much effort just to push the whole world forward by a hundred years...
But this time, I didn't think he was talking crazy.
The fact is, if humans don't reflect and reform on many things, a hundred years later, it might indeed be the end of the world.
"You still can't understand me," Ao Shuo's figure gradually receded, becoming ethereal. "You're flying too fast. Ao Chi, why don't you pay me back what you owe me?"
"As*hole..." Ao Chi's teeth gritted audibly as he spoke to me, "Hold on tight, I need to go faster. This place has just formed and still has weak spots. His power comes from the darkness; as long as sunlight gets in, even just a glimmer, this damned Shadow Land will fall apart. If he has completely merged himself with this place, then sorry, he will die again!"
The faster Ao Chi flew, the weaker the pain on my body became. Even my vision started to recover, and the group of half-dead guys around me showed signs of revival. I guessed that the luminous bodies in the wheel were the spirits of all the demons captured by Ao Shuo and Mu, and they were also the foundational power source of this horrible place. Getting away from this thing would improve our situation.
But...
Flying too fast... Too fast... Hehe, good, very good...
Ao Shuo's ghostly voice lingered repeatedly on this sentence, swirling around us like tides, ebbing and flowing.
The darkness around us was cut open by the fiery flames from Ao Chi, leaving behind a long trail. The color inside was a sparkling shade of purple and gold, gorgeous and dazzling. If it weren't for these colors being too vivid and burning, the trail would have resembled a vast galaxy comparable to the Milky Way. Along the way, countless "stars" enveloped in purple light fell continuously as we moved, each leaving beautiful tails in the darkness as they flew into the distance.
The scenery was so beautiful that it made the heart tremble. Even if I were to die now, I would have no regrets.
Just, will it rain in a place like this?
A few drops of moist droplets splashed onto my face. I touched my face; it was not an illusion, it was really raining.
But why are the "raindrops" on my hand red?
I hurriedly straightened up and took a closer look. The snow-white wedding dress on me had already turned into a mostly bright red bridal gown. The red on it shimmered with a moist glow, carrying the smell of warm blood—
Blood as thin as a trickle seeped out from under every scale of Ao Chi, changing his purple scales to another color. The faster he flew, the more intense the friction between his body and the surroundings became. What purple "stars" with pretty tails?! They were clearly pieces of torn purple dragon scales floating away.
Ao Chi actually didn't say a word and just flew forward.
"Ao Chi... you..." I stared blankly at my hands covered in his blood, stunned for a moment, then shouted loudly, "Stop! Stop right now!"
"Shut up!" Ao Chi rudely interrupted me, "If you feel sick at the sight of blood, just close your eyes! Don't bother me now."
"Fly, fly faster. See if you can take them away before the dragon blood runs out. Ao Chi, you're kind just like I am. Not only are you using a speed that'll rip yourself apart, but you're also releasing true energy to protect those on your back from getting hurt by the massive friction and tearing. If everyone in the world were as kind as us two brothers, I wouldn't need to use the Axis of Time."
That voice that should be hacked to pieces came from every direction, repeating endlessly like an echo.
"Ao Chi!" I was both anxious and angry, pounding my fists on his body. "Stop! I said stop! If you keep flying, you'll turn into a pile of minced meat!"
"If I stop, you'll be the ones turning into minced meat." Ao Chi's breathing was much faster than before, "I won't take your advice. Beat me again… and laozi will beat you to death! Sit tight!"
There is no end ahead, I don’t know where the end is. But Ao Chi continues to move forward stubbornly.
His blood was flowing faster and faster, and beneath each falling scale, there was a mess of flesh and blood. At this moment, the one who was hurting wasn't him, but me.
"How far can you fly me on your back!" I was so anxious that I almost cried. "Stop! Can you please stop for my sake?"
"I will throw you back to the sunny place even if I die carrying you." He was gasping, but still managed to laugh, "Good, this is the first time in your life you've pleaded with me."
Ahead, a fist-sized pale white light faintly appeared — vague, unsteady, and as fragile as a lamp that could extinguish at any moment.
Ao Chi's voice suddenly became excited, "There it is! The weakest spot in the Shadow Land! I've calculated the time; it's exactly noon now. Break through there, and you'll see the sun!"
The "lamp" slowly enlarged as we got closer. I saw a thin film-like substance covering it, undulating as if breathing.
"Ao Chi, you mustn't fly any longer!" Jiu Jue, who had slightly regained his energy, crawled to my side and firmly said to him, "Our condition is much better after leaving that wheel. We'll find another way to get out of here. A strong yin force exists in this place. Although you're not a demon and won't be 'infected,' your East China Sea Dragon Clan is a purely yang species. If you continue flying at such a high speed, the strong repulsion between yin and yang will cause you to die for real!"
"Jiu Jue, you're getting more and more wordy as you get older!" He still didn't slow down, just speaking in a low voice to me, "I'm sorry. It's my damned desire to avoid that has got you into trouble. If I really die, you'll miss me once in a while, won't you. Hehe."
Die…
I never thought Ao Chi would die. This man who always looks down on the world, this vigorous and lively man, with sun and fire as the most abundant things in his life — how can such an evil dragon, who always shows his toughness, ever be associated with death.
If he really dies...
Who will come to my rescue when I encounter a monster stronger than me?
Who will I argue and quarrel with to pass the time when I'm bored?
Who will scold me for being useless while bringing all kinds of strange gifts from around the world to make me smile when I'm in a bad mood?
If Ao Chi dies, who will accompany me through the coming millennia?
I held back tears and said bitterly, "Fine, you'd better die right away. When you die, I'll immediately find another man to marry!"
"You dare!" Ao Chi shouted like a conditioned reflex, totally unable to help it.
"F*ck that! Nobody's dying! It sounds so depressing. Lady boss, steady and tough, that's how I know you."
A golden furred male lion with a fluttering full mane was carrying a girl with round eyes and a round face. He stepped on a trail of fiery red cloud-patterned air currents, catching up from behind, and walked shoulder to shoulder with us.
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