Chapter 131: End of the sixth world
A few days later, Lu Heng received a phone call from Mother Zhou.
The Zhou family showed considerable finesse in making this call. Mother Zhou started with a conciliatory policy, speaking gently, saying she missed Lu Heng and had prepared a table full of delicious dishes, waiting for him to come home for a meal.
Then the phone was handed over to Father Zhou. He began with a stern tone, scolding Lu Heng for pursuing Martial Arts without informing the family, asking if Lu Heng no longer regarded him as a father. After his sharp rebuke, his tone softened, and he admitted that the family had made some mistakes in the past, focusing too much on Zhou Yishu and neglecting Lu Heng, blah blah blah.
The final act was Zhou Yishu. With a slightly awkward tone, he said that their father had already given him a good talking-to. He confessed that he now realized some of his past actions had unintentionally hurt the brotherly bond. He expressed a desire to communicate properly with his gege and resolve any misunderstandings.
With the stern father, the gentle mother, and the awkward yet sincerely repentant younger brother taking turns on stage, their performance was seamless. If Lu Heng were still the clueless Zhou Yiheng, he might have actually been fooled into believing them.
However, this was nothing more than a conspiracy.
After hanging up the phone, Lu Heng said to Gu Lingjun, "They should be ready to take action."
"Mhm," Gu Lingjun nodded. "Let's proceed according to plan."
During this time, the Zhou family had been quite active.
Father Zhou had secretly purchased a batch of sedatives specifically for Martial Artists through the black market. Although he was highly skilled at concealing his identity, in Chinese territory, there was no information the Gu family couldn't uncover if they wanted to.
Soon, news came from Gu family's Third Brother: the Zhou family had chartered a private jet, with its destination set for Country A—the same country the Zhou family had taken the Zhou twins to years ago, according to Gu family's investigations.
Regrettably, even with tight surveillance on Father Zhou, the Gus couldn't pinpoint the specific location of the hospital. In fact, not even Father Zhou himself knew its exact location. He merely contacted a mysterious middleman who, after receiving a hefty deposit, responded with instructions.
Lu Heng, however, had already figured out the identity of this mysterious middleman. By searching through Little Assistant's database, he discovered that this so-called middleman was a fabricated persona. Someone conjured out of thin air could only mean one thing.
Who else could it be but the Fortune Thief?
The heart transplant surgery from over a decade ago was also orchestrated by him. Otherwise, how could Father Zhou, the patriarch of a declining Martial Artist family, possibly connect with a hospital abroad that even the Gu clan couldn't trace?
From Father Zhou's email exchanges with the go-between, Lu Heng learned the Zhou family's entire plan. They didn't even intend to let Lu Heng return to China again.
The official story was carefully crafted: the eldest son of the Zhou family, born with a heart defect that prevented him from practicing Martial Arts, secretly trained without telling his family. After his dazzling performance at the National Ancient Martial Arts Exchange Conference, his heart finally gave out due to the strain of huge thought power. The Zhou family then sent him abroad for treatment, where he tragically died on the operating table due to the severity of his condition.
What a perfect excuse! The Zhou family could even use this incident to bolster their reputation. Zhou Yishu could then step forward, flying the flag of carrying his gege's last wish to draw even more attention, and even smoothly inherit EternalMoon's fanbase in the process.
[How could these Zhou parents be so cruel? Isn't there a saying among you humans that even a tiger won't eat its cubs[1]?] Little Assistant couldn't help but pop up to comment.
[One mistake triggers the next[2]. To cover up what the Zhou family did back then, Zhou Yiheng must die. Besides, with Zhou Yishu around, the Zhou family can still ease their conscience through self-deception. But at the core, Father Zhou, Mother Zhou, and even Zhou Yishu are all extremely selfish people.] Lu Heng explained.
In response to the Zhou family's elaborate schemes, Gu Lingjun and Lu Heng had already prepared comprehensive countermeasures.
Lu Heng went to the Zhou residence to attend the Hongmen Banquet[3], while Gu Lingjun followed discreetly, concealing his presence. They had deduced that the Zhou family planned to drug Lu Heng with the specialized sedative during the meal, then immediately transport him to the airport. From there, under the pretense of medical treatment, they would use the private jet to send him abroad. Since the Zhou couple were his biological parents, no one would question their actions.
To counter this, Gu Lingjun had prepared an antidote tailored to the sedative and taught Lu Heng a breath-control technique called Turtle Breathing Art. The sedatives would take some time to fully kick in, so as long as Lu Heng took the antidote at the first sign of trouble, he could use the Turtle Breathing Art to convincingly feign unconsciousness.
The plan was simple: let the Zhou family lead them to the mysterious hospital. Needless to say, Gu Lingjun would follow Lu Heng like a shadow. As for the chartered private jet, the infinitely resourceful Third Brother had already taken care of everything. When the time came, Gu Lingjun would be taken to the cockpit and fly directly to Country A with Lu Heng to protect against any unexpected moves by the Zhou family during the flight.
Everything progressed exactly as Lu Heng and Gu Lingjun had anticipated. They successfully arrived at the mysterious hospital.
"I'm the chief surgeon…"
Lu Heng heard someone speaking in the language of Country A. Fortunately, in this world, Country A's language was widely spoken and as the original owner of his body had been an academic prodigy, understanding the conversation was no challenge.
The speaker, shockingly, turned out to be the same surgeon who had conducted the operation over a decade ago. He mentioned that he had retrieved the records from the previous procedure and asked Father Zhou to accompany him to the office to discuss the surgical details.
Lu Heng lay on the hospital bed, his breathing steady, flawlessly playing the role of someone rendered completely unconscious by the sedatives. Though his eyes remained closed, he could sense through the surroundings that Father Zhou had left with the surgeon.
Gu Lingjun was undoubtedly shadowing them to retrieve the surgery records. That left only two people in the room with Lu Heng: Zhou Yishu and the mysterious middleman.
[Little Assistant, notify the Plane Maintenance Department to closely monitor the situation of this plane and be ready to open the retrieval portal at any moment.]
[No. 666, have you decided to make your move?]
[Not just yet. I'll wait until the surgery is about to begin—at the most critical moment. Let that Fortune Thief watch helplessly as the cooked duck flies away. Won't that be more provoking?]
The light above the operating room lit up.
Father Zhou slumped dejectedly to the ground along the wall, staring blankly at his own hands. He couldn't believe that he had just sent his eldest son to the grave with his own hands. Shaking his head, he clenched his fists, trying to suppress the chaos of emotions welling up inside him.
From the moment he took on the burden of reviving the Zhou family, Father Zhou knew that certain things had to be abandoned—family ties, love, and even morality. For the sake of great ambitions, some sacrifices were inevitable.
Lost in his thoughts, Father Zhou failed to notice the cold smile on the middleman's face. What a foolish human, thought the middleman. So easily deceived, so readily manipulated, giving away the luck that belonged to the Zhou family without hesitation.
But then, the door to the operating room suddenly opened.
Father Zhou leapt to his feet. Standing in the doorway was someone who should not have been there—Lu Heng.
Lu Heng held the video camera for recording the surgery in his hand, smiling as he said, "Are you disappointed to see it's me? I'll be keeping this evidence, thank you."
Father Zhou immediately realized the truth. He had been tricked. This "good son" of his had known everything from the very beginning. It was all a trap—a setup to collect evidence!
This evidence cannot fall into his hands! Father Zhou thought frantically. If these things are made public, the Zhou family is finished. Without a moment's hesitation, Father Zhou condensed his psychic weapon, preparing to subdue Lu Heng.
But before he could act, a figure flashed past, and Father Zhou collapsed unconscious to the floor.
Standing next to Lu Heng was a handsome young man—none other than Gu Lingjun.
Gu Lingjun gave Lu Heng a slight nod and was about to speak when a dark beam of light suddenly enveloped both of them.
Gu Lingjun immediately fell to the ground unconscious, while a faint white glow emerged from Lu Heng's body, repelling the black light.
"I was wondering why things suddenly went wrong," the source of the black light—the middleman—spoke coldly. "So you're from the Underworld."
Lu Heng crouched to check on Gu Lingjun's condition. Seeing that his breathing was steady and that he was unharmed, he straightened and faced the figure: "Fortune Thief."
The man scrutinized Lu Heng and then smirked disdainfully: "You ruined my plan. I thought you might be something special, but it turns out you're just an S-rank rookie."
The white glow around Lu Heng grew brighter and brighter, slowly expanding toward the Fortune Thief. This was a barrier created by converting his spirit power through Little Assistant. Lu Heng didn't need to defeat the Fortune Thief or anything; he only needed to contain him long enough for the Maintenance Department to open the retrieval portal.
Unexpectedly, the Fortune Thief seemed completely unfazed. He walked towards Lu Heng and sneered, "Stalling for time to wait for the Maintenance Department? No matter. The time it takes for those useless fools to arrive is more than enough for me to teach you, rookie, the meaning of respect for your seniors—and the folly of overestimating yourself."
The Fortune Thief slowly raised his hand, a dense, ink-black orb of energy forming in his palm. It radiated an ominous power that seemed to absorb everything around it. "An S-rank employee's soul is really an unexpected bonus. So much better than the energy of some insignificant child of destiny."
Danger! Danger! Lu Heng's instincts screamed at him. The black orb emanated an aura of profound malevolence and despair. Whatever the Fortune Thief had done, Lu Heng found himself frozen in place, unable to move a single step. Helpless, he could only watch as the Fortune Thief drew closer and closer.
The Fortune Thief raised his hand, the black orb of energy inching closer to Lu Heng's forehead. A faintly satisfied smile curled at the corners of his lips. But just as it was about to make contact, his smile froze.
"What do you think you're doing to him?" An icy voice echoed through the room.
Lu Heng watched in astonishment as Gu Lingjun emerged from behind him.
The once-arrogant Fortune Thief was now motionless, his body locked in place as large beads of sweat dripped down his forehead. He was clearly struggling desperately to break free but to no avail.
Gu Lingjun raised a hand, and in the Fortune Thief's terrified gaze, he reached toward his forehead. A black shadowy figure was forcibly extracted from his brow, its form writhing and struggling as though clinging to its last hope.
Even as it thrashed about wildly, it was clear its resistance was futile. Gu Lingjun's right hand clenched slightly, and the shadow let out a blood-curdling scream, its presence fading as though it would soon dissipate entirely.
"Wait, he's still useful!" Lu Heng quickly stopped him.
Hearing Lu Heng's voice, Gu Lingjun's expression softened immediately. He waved his hand, summoning a chain of light that coiled around the inky black soul, binding it firmly in place.
Then, Gu Lingjun turned to Lu Heng. Their eyes met, and in that instant, Lu Heng understood. This was neither Gu Lingjun nor Shi Kong. Or rather, it was both Gu Lingjun and Shi Kong.
"Gu Lingjun" studied Lu Heng intently for a moment, then gave a gentle smile: "You've worked hard. It's almost over now."
He leaned forward and dropped a kiss on Lu Heng's lips. Then, closing his eyes, he collapsed to the ground.
As Gu Lingjun's body fell, a portal of light opened in mid-air, with figures clad in Maintenance Department uniforms standing in it.
"Fellow colleague, could you please hand over that Fortune Thief? For the stability of this plane, I can't step out of the portal," said one of the Maintenance Department personnel.
"You guys sure have impeccable timing. I was this close to becoming fertilizer," Lu Heng dissed.
"Our deepest apologies." The colleague hurriedly explained, "But this situation was strange. The moment I sensed the disturbance, I opened the portal immediately. Yet for some reason, this plane was suddenly sealed by a powerful force, and I couldn't get in. As soon as the lock was lifted, I came through right away." The colleague clasped their hands together in a pleading gesture. "Kind-hearted colleague, please don't file a complaint against us!"
Seeing the earnest expression and noting no sign of pretense, Lu Heng decided not to press the issue further. With a wave of his hand, he sent the bound soul of the Fortune Thief through the portal.
A few years later.
EternalMoon was the most popular star in the Martial Arts circle in recent years.
With exceptional talent and remarkable insight, he had advanced to an Earth-tier upper-rank Martial Artist in just a few short years.
But what truly cemented his legendary status was his life experience. The scandal that erupted from the Zhou family's affairs at the time shocked everyone.
The world could scarcely fathom the cruelty of such heartless people who would actually sacrifice their own flesh and blood for some baseless things. In a brutal act, they subjected their own child to a heart transplant, only to later suppress the child whose talent was stolen. After the child, through sheer determination, overcame the odds and stepped onto the Martial Path, they sought to repeat the same cruel act and rob the child's talent once more.
These horrifying deeds were heavily criticized across the Internet, with netizens angrily condemning the Zhou family. Were it not for Martial Artists falling outside the purview of ordinary people's laws, the Zhou couple would have already been sent to prison.
As the situation escalated, the Ancient Martial Arts Association intervened. The Martial Artists community had always been a relatively free and loosely regulated circle, where the association usually only acted in cases of extreme crimes like murder or arson. But the atrocities committed by the Zhou family against their own shocked even the most powerful figures within the association. More than the cruel act of targeting their own child, the Zhou family had crossed the line by violating one of the most sacred tenets of the Martial Arts world.
To steal someone's talent was considered the greatest taboo among Martial Artists.
As a result, Father Zhou, Mother Zhou, and Zhou Yishu, who were involved in these dark deeds, had their thought energy cycles abolished and turned into ordinary people. And as ordinary people, committing such heinous acts as live organ transplants meant they could no longer escape the judgment of the law.
Father Zhou and Mother Zhou would spend the rest of their lives in prison, while Zhou Yishu, after serving his sentence, vanished without a trace, never to be seen in the public eye again.
Tonight, EternalMoon was set to advance to the Heaven-tier in his Martial Arts journey. He prepared a spectacular visual feast for all his fans. With a swift, clean strike that brought his prey to the ground, EternalMoon turned toward the camera.
"As you all know, my live streaming team consists of just one person. From Yellow-tier to advancing to Heaven-tier now, he has always been by my side. I'm sure everyone is curious about who that person is. I promised him that when the day came for me to reach Heaven-tier, I would introduce him to everyone." EternalMoon smiled at the camera, or rather, at the person holding the camera, "Come on."
The screen shook slightly, indicating the cameraman had put the camera down.
The person who appeared before the camera wore a silver-black mask, exuding a cold and sharp aura.
"Ahhhhhhh! Lord Junlin!"
"What am I seeing! What's happening!"
"Mom, come look! A comet's about to hit Earth! The world is ending! I don't even know what I'm saying anymore because I've gone crazy!"
"This must be a dream! I must be dreaming! Is my Gu Idol CP going to be ripped up?!"
The live stream's bullet comments erupted into pure chaos as viewers utterly lost their minds!
Yet, the person known as Junlin before the camera remained completely unaffected. He turned to EternalMoon, and instantly, his whole person became softer. Junlin placed a gentle kiss on EternalMoon's lips before turning back to the camera and speaking.
"I have a vest, called SovereignGu."
[1] 虎毒不食子: A person, no matter how vicious they are, will not harm their own children.
[2] 一步錯,步步錯 is used to advise people not to do the wrong thing.
[3] social gathering (e.g. a party or meeting) with conspiracy against its guest; malicious invitation; trap.
Translator:
That concludes the sixth arc! Remember to read the extra~
Now, remember me saying I'd translate a few chapters and see how it goes? (Never mind that I ended up finishing the whole arc!) Sadly, I've only got around 100 readers per chapter as of now, which isn't very encouraging. Maybe folks are waiting to read the full arc in one go? I hope that's the reason for the low interest and not because my translation sucks😅
Heads up: I'm going on a looooong trip home (after two years!), and I've vowed to stay away from my laptop. So, it's goodbye for now! When I'm back from my vacation, I'll review the numbers and see if it's worth continuing to translate this novel.
Last, but most important...
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I wish you all a jolly holiday season!!
Thank you for all the chapters! <3
ReplyDeleteI wish you Happy Holidays and a good vacation time~ ^-^
Thank you for all the chapters! Have a nice trip home ^^
ReplyDeleteThank you for the chapters! Have a nice trip home ^^
ReplyDeleteyour translation is great! i'm sure the low readership is more due to the fairly long hiatus since the last translator dropped it. thank you for your hard work and enjoy your vacation home ^^
ReplyDelete