PTM 84

Chapter 84: The Worst Possible Answer

Not long after Wo Province declared that it wanted independence, Yu Xuan left Baiyujing under cover of night for Wo Province to take charge of the overall situation under the pretext of “restoring the kingdom of Wo.” Ye Shuer and I continued to lie low in Wo Village.

After several rounds of evasive negotiations completely broke down, the old emperor finally tore off his mask of hypocrisy and appointed Zhong Xiaoshan to lead the central army south to “quell the rebellion”.

However, when the Penglai army entered Wo Province, they discovered that the terrain of the mining area was far more complex than depicted on the map. The mines were like anthills, and the quarries were like a maze. Years of mistreatment had caused almost every Wo Province resident to refuse to cooperate, providing Yu Xuan’s armed forces with a supply and hiding network that spanned the entire territory.

Zhong Xiaoshan failed to capture a single major city and instead became bogged down in a protracted war of attrition.

Meanwhile, other cities were also experiencing unrest.

Fantong’s factories shut down on a large scale, the people of Wo went on strike, orders piled up, and the city was almost paralyzed; the local authorities in Langfeng outwardly obeyed the central government, but in reality, they took advantage of the chaos to embezzle tax revenue and expand their private army; grain prices in Xuanpu soared, citizens lined up to grab grain, and even bloody clashes occurred; and Zengcheng… was the most unexpected.

After Yi Yingzhen’s death, Wei Lian, who succeeded her diocese, remained largely unknown. Had it not been for the two leading candidates for pope being embroidered in shocking scandals, making him a dark horse contender for the next pope, his name might never have been known to anyone.

Logically speaking, with the Pope’s death creating a power vacuum in the Church, he would have a very high chance of becoming the new Pope if he could simply smooth things over with various parties.

Instead, he did the opposite, uniting all the clergy of the Zengcheng Diocese to openly break with the Papacy. He claimed that the Papacy had become corrupt and degenerate, abandoning the teachings of the Sun God, and declared that he would no longer recognize the authority of the Papacy.

Zhong Xiaoshan was too busy to deal with them, and they were happy to watch the central army sink deeper and deeper visit our siteinto the quagmire of Wo Province.

The seemingly indestructible edifice of Penglai was gradually cracked open by various forces, revealing the already rotten steel bars inside.

In the last month of that year, the rainy season in Wo Province arrived early.

The continuous torrential rains made the roads muddy and impassable, preventing the deployment of heavy equipment and forcing the Penglai army to halt its offensive. Both sides took advantage of this rare rainy season to catch their breath and lick their wounds.

It was during this brief that the unexpected event caused the situation to spiral completely out of control.

When Penglai was in turmoil, Crown Princess Dai Yue took the little prince back to her motherland, leaving Chu Shengcheng alone in Penglai.

For some unknown reason, Yu Xuan’s men somehow managed to kidnap the little prince from Daiyu’s tight security and secretly escort him back to Wo Province.

They wanted to use the child as the ultimate bargaining chip to force the Penglai royal family to agree to withdraw their troops and recognize the independence of Wo Province.

Children were always the bottom line, especially when it involved the royal bloodline of two countries’ diplomatic relations. This was a terrible move.

Moreover, although the child’s surname was Chu, he had half Wo blood and was Yu Xuan’s own flesh and blood…

I had a bad feeling. After receiving the news, I immediately tried to contact Yu Xuan, but he never responded.

Left with no other choice, I had to risk rushing to Wo Province to find out what was going on.

Ye Shuer originally wanted to go with me, but I sternly dissuaded him. In case something really happened, leaving him outside would at least prevent us from being caught in one fell swoop.

He couldn’t persuade me otherwise, so he had to contact a secret outpost in Wo Province to pick me up. It took me three days and three nights, braving the rain, to make my way through an abandoned mine tunnel.

Upon arrival, before even having time to rest, I learned that Chu Shengcheng had personally led a group to Wo Province for negotiations and was now staying at the governor’s mansion where Yu Xuan was residing.

Chu Shengcheng, the crown prince of a nation, dared to venture deep into enemy territory for negotiations with only a few personal guards… The strangeness of this matter was beyond even my comprehension as an enemy. Zhong Xiaoshan, far away on the front lines, must be so angry upon hearing this news that his beard stands on end.

The governor’s mansion in Wo Province, formerly the old palace of the Yu family, still retained its former grandeur and magnificence. However, the interior, due to the terrible warlord aesthetics of the former governor Bondor, was a hodgepodge of styles and clashing colors, appearing incongruous and exuding a vulgar sense of sudden wealth.

Although he didn’t reply to my message, Yu Xuan must have known I was coming and informed his subordinates in advance. As soon as I arrived, someone took me to see him.

As soon as the door to the reception room opened, I saw Yu Xuan still wearing that black cloak. He sat on a gaudy rose-red sofa, holding an exquisite bone china teacup. He seemed lost in thought, and was as calm as a black shadow.

“Have you forgotten what I told you?” I took off my rain-soaked hood and walked straight toward him.

Yu Xuan’s eyes flickered, and he slowly looked at me: “You’ve come all this way, why are you so angry? Take a rest, you’re soaked in the rain.”

“I’ve told you about the consequences of your acting on your own. Don’t you want to see your family again?”

Yu Xuan slammed the teacup back onto the marble coffee table beside him. unauthorized copy“It doesn’t matter. You can kill him.” He raised his head with a familiar, gentle yet fake smile on his face. “Having come this far, I won’t stop for anyone.”

This person had gone mad.

I gritted my teeth, pulled out the document I had always kept close to my body and prepared long ago, and threw it at him.

“What if it were your own son? Would you stop then?”

Yu Xuan opened the document with a suspicious look on his face, and his expression became more and more interesting after a few seconds.

He crumpled the unredacted, documented paternity report with both hands.

“That’s impossible.” He glared at me angrily and threw the crumpled paper to the ground. “Jiang Man, Jiang Man, you’re too funny. Trying to fool me with such an absurd thing. Do you think I’d believe you?”

I slowly exhaled a breath of stale air and patiently said, “If you don’t believe me, you can ask Ye Shuer for verification. He discovered this while investigating the royal scandal. You know him; he’s the least likely to lie.”

Yu Xuan stood there with a look of struggle on his face.

“Where are they?” I glanced at the increasingly heavy rain outside the window, my unease growing stronger.

Yu Xuan kept his eyes downcast and remained motionless.

I couldn’t help but shout, “Yu Xuan!”

He clenched his fists, abruptly stood up from the sofa, and walked quickly outside. I hurried after him.

Just a few rooms away, he arrived at a large mahogany door with intricate carvings and pushed it to enter.

The room was surrounded by armed Wo guards, and the atmosphere was extremely tense. When they saw Yu Xuan arrive, they all made way for him.

Before entering, I had put my hood back on to hide my face in the shadows, so no one inside recognized me.

When I squeezed to the front and took a look, my heart skipped a beat.

The glass door connecting to the balcony was wide open, and the wind and rain poured into the room, causing the curtains to flutter.

Chu Shengcheng sat on the cold floor, holding a small child in his arms. Beside him was only one guard with a gun raised, and not far in front of him lay the body of another guard, a bullet wound to the forehead, blood spreading on the carpet.

“What brings you here?” A robust, shrewd-looking middle-aged man immediately approached Yu Xuan.

This was one of Yu Xuan’s confidants, named Jin Ke. In his youth, he served as the chief guard of the royal family of the Kingdom of Wo. He was very skilled and also a ruthless person.

“What’s going on?” Yu Xuan’s voice tightened upon seeing the scene before him.

“Ha, this crazy prince is simply impossible to communicate with.” Jin Ke said with a face full of gloom. “I told him that I poisoned the child, and that as long as he acknowledges the independence of the Wo Province and makes that dog Zhong Xiaoshan withdraw his troops, I will give him the antidote. But he probably thought [stolen content]I was not of high enough rank and insisted on seeing you. He didn’t even care about the life or death of his own son. He just wanted to see you. He dragged it out until the poison took effect.”

In the end, he spat out, “He brought this upon himself.”

Upon hearing the words “poison took effect,” Yu Xuan’s entire body stiffened.

“…Dead?” He turned to look at Jin Ke, his face drained of color.

Seeing his strange reaction, Jin Ke, probably afraid of taking the blame, immediately distanced himself: “Sir, I was just trying to scare him at first, I didn’t mean to really kill the child. Later, I wanted to give him the antidote, but this madman wouldn’t let us near the child, even with a gun to his head. I… I had no choice…”

Just then, Chu Shengcheng, who had been motionless since entering the room, suddenly let out a low, bone-chilling laugh.

He held the child in his arms and shakily stood up from the ground.

“You’ve finally come to see me.”

His voice was soft, yet it pierced through the rain and reached everyone’s ears.

Yu Xuan took a step toward him and held out his hand: “Give me the child. I can save him.”

Chu Shengcheng lowered his head and looked at the lifeless child in his arms, then shook his head and said, “It’s too late.”

“Give him to me!”

Yu Xuan roared and tried to rush over, but was grabbed by Jin Ke beside him.

“Sir! It’s dangerous!”

“You knew?” Chu Shengcheng gently stroked the little prince’s cheek with his fingers. Apart from his slightly bluish lips, the child looked as if he were asleep.

“Why didn’t you tell me?” Yu Xuan screamed with bloodshot eyes.

“I was planning to give you a surprise in a few years…” He looked up and smiled slightly at Yu Xuan, then said ruthlessly, “If you had come to see me sooner, he wouldn’t have died.”

“You…” Yu Xuan’s chest heaved, his eyes bloodshot, his voice trembling with hatred, “You did it on purpose! You did to retaliate against me! So what if you saw me? Did you think anything would change? No!”

“Chu Shengcheng, let me tell you. I, Yu Xuan, will never love you in this life, the next life, or the life after that. Not if we have this child, and definitely not if we don’t! I hate you, I feel disgusted just looking at you, and even if you die, I will never shed a single tear for you!!”

Chu Shengcheng stared at him calmly, not even blinking throughout the entire process. It was as if he had heard such vicious words hundreds or thousands of times, and they could no longer stir any emotion within him.

“Would you be happier if I died?”

Yu Xuan had completely lost his senses at this point, and blurted out, “Happy? I would be more than happy! I’d fulfilled my long-cherished wish, I could die without regrets! Go to hell already!!”

Chu Shengcheng chuckled softly, “Very well.”

I had been attentively watching his movements, and when I saw him turn his body towards the balcony, I cursed.

“Don’t—”

I had just raised my hand when someone next to me was even faster, shaking off Jin Ke and rushing over like the wind.

Everything happened within seconds.

Chu Shengcheng’s guard pointed his gun at Yu Xuan, but was shot in a vital spot by Jin Ke and fell to the ground first. In the instant the guard fell, Chu Shengcheng, holding the stiff child, turned and jumped off the balcony without the slightest hesitation.

Yu Xuan lunged forward. He reaching out to grab the vibrant red hem of the garment. His fingertips brushed against the fabric, but it was too late.

He was the one who just wanted him to die, and he was also the one who rushed to save him without a second thought.

Although the manor only had four floors, each floor was very tall, and the balcony was more than twenty meters above the ground.

Chu Shengcheng died. He died in Wo Province, holding his and Yu Xuan’s child in his arms.

He died so easily, so frivolously, so madly.

The cold rain washed over his body, his fiery Read on red hair curled and clung to his sides, mixed with blood, and streaks of crimson water seeped from beneath him.

[Is this what you wanted?]

It seemed as if a voice was whispering this in my ear.

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From that day on, everything began to spiral out of control, and all developments were like a runaway horse, completely exceeding my expectations.

The deaths of Chu Shengcheng and his son enraged the old emperor. However, his first reaction wasn’t to attack Wo Province for revenge, but rather to use the opportunity to hold Zhong Xiaoshan, who commanded the elite troops, accountable. Former political enemies seized the opportunity to attack, accusing Zhong Xiaoshan of incompetence and failing to protect the crown prince, demanding a change of commander on the battlefield.

With the crown prince gone, the only remaining candidate for the throne was Chu Luo, the old emperor’s only surviving child. However, opinions within Penglai were divided regarding this former princess, who had now become a commoner. Various factions began a fierce struggle for the succession, creating a chaotic and contentious situation.

In the end, Yu Xuan went mad.

He went mad after witnessing the deaths of Chu Shengcheng and his son before his eyes. He locked himself in the room where Chu Shengcheng jumped, refusing to eat or drink, talking to himself, and refusing to see anyone.

Jin Ke seized the opportunity to take over his power, he quickly purged dissenting voices within the organization, and completely severed ties with Free Will that advocated “human rights.” His actions became more radical and ruthless, he had no bottom line.

Penglai was embroiled in internal strife, military operations stalled, and the blockade of Wo Province loosened, giving Jin Ke an excellent opportunity to counterattack.

Reclaiming Wo Province was not enough for him; he expanded outwards with fervor, uniting with several other Penglai cities that were already dissatisfied with the central government, and launched a full-scale armed uprising.

Smoke and fire filled the air, and the war was fully ignited.

Gradually, the entire Penglai kingdom, aside from some insignificant forces, was divided into three main factions.

One force was the government army, which held several northern cities, including Baiyujing; another force was the radical faction of the Wo people led by Jin Ke, which occupied Wo Province and a number of surrounding southern cities; and the third force was the moderate faction of the Wo people led by “Free Will”.

The territory of Free Will lied between the North and the South, serving as a buffer zone where the battle lines were repeatedly stretched, and also becoming the only refuge.

With fighting on both sides, the north was government territory, which the Wo people dared not go to; the south was Jin Ke’s territory, and the Penglai civilians would die if they went there. They could only flee to the middle.

Ye Shuer transformed abandoned factories, schools, and gymnasiums into temporary shelters. These shelters were crammed with people who had escaped from the war zones, both Wo and Penglai people. Conditions were terrible; medicine was scarce, and food was entirely scavenged by Free Will members, risking their lives to gather it from various sources.

Furthermore, because the Wo and Penglai people lived under the same roof, small-scale conflicts frequently broke out. Free Will would try to maintain order, but only barely.

In the early stages of the war, the metaverse was still functioning normally, and all sides used it for propaganda, intelligence, and communication. However, as the battle lines expanded and infrastructure was destroyed, the metaverse became unstable, with signals becoming intermittent and frequently crashing without warning. It was only a matter of time before it became unusable.

Since I couldn’t act as “Messiah” in the metaverse, I could only appear offline instead.

I didn’t show my face; I simply wore a hood and a mask and visit our sitepersonally inspected the various outposts, handled problems, and distributed supplies.

Occasionally, I encountered convoys transporting supplies.

Some of these convoys belonged to foreign humanitarian aid, while others belonged to Penglai businessmen who wished to remain anonymous.

“Take a look, these are the ledgers for the inflow and outflow of supplies.” Wen Fu handed me a worn out electronic screen.

I took it, flipped through a couple of pages, and handed it back to the other person, saying, “There’s no problem.”

Not long after the outbreak of war, Wen Fu and Mu Ke eloped to this stronghold called “Yaochi” (Jade Lake). Now, the two had become husband and wife, one was the captain of the guard unit, responsible for security; the other helped out in the refugee camp, responsible for distributing supplies.

They were also among the few people who knew my true identity.

The refugee camp I visited that day was a converted abandoned chemical plant. It was very cold and damp in the winter, and because of the large number of wounded, the air was filled with the pungent smell of cheap disinfectant mixed with rotting flesh.

Wen Fu and I were walking side by side on the suspended industrial walkway when we suddenly heard a child crying below. We couldn’t help but look down.

Several children, some from Wo and some from Penglai, were chasing and playing. One of them, a Wo child who looked only five or six years old, accidentally fell and hurt his hand. He stood there, clutching his injury, crying sadly.

At first glance, it didn’t seem like anything serious, and I was about to look away when I suddenly saw a tall figure wearing a hood and a scarf walking towards the child.

He squatted down in front of the child, said something, and then magically pulled a brightly colored lollipop [unauthorized copy]from his pocket and handed it to the child.

The child’s eyes widened when he saw the lollipop, and he nodded with teary eyes, then wiped them all away.

The man tore the wrapper for him and put the lollipop in his mouth. The child ate it with relish, and didn’t even cry when the man opened his palm to treat his wound.

I stared at that figure for a long time, which confused Wen Fu.

“Is there a problem? That must be the leader of the convoy that delivered supplies today,” Wen Fu said. “This convoy is very secretive, but the supplies they delivered were very good, including the medicine and food that we needed most.”

I looked away, my hands, hidden in my sleeves, tightened slightly, and I shook my head: “It’s nothing. There’s no problem.”

It was just an old acquaintance.

That figure was so familiar. So familiar it haunted my dreams every night, where he asked me again and again if this was what I wanted.

The convoy delivered supplies but didn’t leave immediately. They brought a doctor who would provide free medical consultations during this time, staying for about three or four days before departing.

To facilitate medical treatment, they stayed in an abandoned church next to the refugee camp, which was also where I’d been staying in Yaochi.

We lived on opposite sides of the church, one in the west and the other in the east, and our activity trajectories did not overlap.

That evening, just as I was getting ready to go to sleep, I suddenly heard voices outside the door.

“Dr. Li? Is there anything I can help you with so late?”

“Our leader heard that Messiah has been troubled by his old illness, so he specially sent me over to see if I could help.”

“Oh, I see. Your boss is very thoughtful. Please wait a moment.”

Soon, there was a knock on the door, and the guard outside reported, “Sir, it’s Dr. Li from the supply convoy.”

I picked up the mask from the table and put it back on: “Let him in.”

The old wooden door creaked, and a moment later, an old Wo man, with gray hair and a medicine box on his back, came in from outside.

Although time had passed and he had aged a lot, I recognized him at a glance. He was the taciturn doctor among the four who kidnapped me and Zong Yanlei back then.

“Sir, I heard that you have been suffering from stomach problems. Our leader was very concerned after hearing about it and specially sent me to take your pulse to see if I can help.” He stood in front of me and repeated his purpose.

I sat down at the table, placed my hands on it, and gestured for him to sit down as well: “Thank you for your trouble.”

Dr. Li gently placed his fingers on my pulse, and asked me about some of the symptoms I usually experience. Then opened his notebook and began writing my medical record in a flowing, elegant style.

“Your health has been damaged, so you need to take good care of yourself.” After writing the prescription, he tore off a page and slid it across unauthorized copythe table to my face. “The stomach is an organ related to emotions, and excessive worry can easily trigger illness. But given your current position, it’s impossible not to worry, so we can only try our best to improve the situation.”

My stomach already had some problems, and after taking that fake death drug, it got even worse. Now it flared up every few days, and once I even fainted from the pain in front of Mu Ke. From then on, news of “Messiah’s” frail health spread throughout Free Will.

I picked up the paper and glanced at it. I couldn’t understand it at all, but I still nodded and thanked the other person.

“Thank you.”

Dr. Li took out some bottles and jars from the medicine box and placed them on the table one by one.

“These are all herbs I made myself, non-toxic and without side effects. You can ask me for more when you finish them.” With that, he slung his medicine box back over his shoulder and got up to leave.

Out of politeness, I escorted him to the door.

“Please thank your leader for me.”

Dr. Li turned to the side and nodded slightly to me: “This border area is now the only peaceful place in Penglai. Your health is more important than anything else, and this is also… our leader’s wish.”

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One year, two years, three years… the war continued.

Every few months, I would go to Yaochi for a round, and during my rounds, I would have Dr. Li take my pulse. I still had stomach pains, but the frequency gradually decreased from once every few days to once every one or two months.

Zong Yanlei and I have never spoken; all brief greetings were conveyed through Dr. Li.

Very occasionally, when supplies were being distributed in the refugee camp, our eyes would meet from afar through the bustling crowd, but we would quickly look away as if we were strangers.

I couldn’t tell if he recognized me. Or… if he had his suspicions, but never dared to confirm, afraid that if he lifted the mask, the person behind it wouldn’t be who he thought.

In the deep winter of the third year, two days before my usual inspection of Yaochi, my stomach ailment suddenly relapsed. I fell seriously ill and was bedridden.

When I woke up again, it was five days later.

Snow was falling heavily outside the window, but the room was eerily quiet.

I fumbled for a glimpse of the time on my phone, but not only the phone, but also my terminal, the electronic screen, and even the computer… all vanished without a trace.

This is strange.

I called out in a hoarse voice. A moment later, Ye Shuer opened the door and came in.

“Ge, you’re awake? Would you like something to eat?”

When people are extremely nervous, they unconsciously smile like an idiot.

That was exactly what he was doing him right now; his smile was as awkward as could be.

“Where are my things?” I asked.

“You’re not fully recovered yet, so don’t think about work right now. Just rest.” He placed his hands on my shoulders to get me to lie down again. “The doctor said you need to rest.”

I grabbed his hand, stared into his eyes, and asked again, my tone more forceful: “Where are my things?”

He shuddered and chuckled awkwardly, “I’ve put it away for you. I’ll get it for you when you’re better.”

I simply threw off the covers and went outside.

“Ge! Ge, what are you doing? It’s snowing outside! Go back to bed, ugh!”

Ye Shuer tried to stop me, but I grabbed his arm and pushed him aside as easily as picking up a chick.

“Are you hiding something from me?” I stood barefoot on the floor, staring down at him as he plopped down on the floor. “You’d better tell me yourself, or I’ll be angry.”

Ye Shuer’s lips trembled, he furtively looked around: “I…”

I didn’t have the patience to listen to his stammering, so I just opened the door and walked out.

“Zong Yanlei has been arrested!”

A loud shout came from behind.

I stopped abruptly, paused for a moment, and turned to look at Ye Shuer, who was still sitting on the ground, looking dejected.

“By who?”

I heard a ghostly echo asking a question, but I didn’t even care to tell if it was my own voice.

Ye Shuer frowned with a resigned expression: “Jin Ke.”

The worst possible answer.

I felt a sudden dizziness, and my vision went black. I managed to hold onto the door frame to avoid falling.

Ye Shuer quickly scrambled to his feet and helped me up, his face full of worry and regret: “Ge, are you alright? Don’t scare me! I… that’s why I didn’t dare tell you…”

“Is Zong Yanlei still alive?” I steadied myself and asked the most crucial question.

As long as he’s alive, there’s still hope. I can always rescue him.

“Alive”.

Before I could even catch my breath, his next words plunged my heart into an icy abyss.

“But today is the execution date set by Jin Ke…”