Benbu failed to achieve his grand ambitions. Not only did he fail to eliminate those three traitors, he’d turned himself into a rice roll.
Si Hongche looked at the transparent membrane swaying in the wind and the string of white bones wrapped inside, not recognizing him at first glance.
He thought there was a rice roll-form Awakened hidden among the messengers.
Benbu opened his transparent lips, his protruding tooth bones opening and closing without producing a sound. He could only frantically grab a pen with his withered fingers and shakily write on paper—
[You go kill, I’ll get reinforcements.]
Since he’d ordered all network signals cut off from the Loracity Icefield, there was no way to directly contact the restricted zone now.
Fortunately, they still had Mad Clown’s pheromones extracted earlier—they could use [Shadow Anchoring] to directly transport more combat power.
The divine messengers weren’t limited to four, and he wasn’t the only one with miracles.
He’d still underestimated Black Lantern Society’s combat power, but it didn’t matter. Once he brought back help, Black Lantern Society would ultimately die in this prison.
Benbu’s fish-like shriveled eyes seeped with intense hatred.
Si Hongche finally recognized from the white robe’s style that this was Benbu.
He’d never known what Benbu’s ability was. For certain special purposes, he’d even secretly investigated, but was always blocked by some invisible authority.
He still didn’t know what Benbu’s ability was—at least he couldn’t understand why Benbu had turned himself into this.
If it was just to disgust people, then Benbu had succeeded.
“Even Lord Benbu failed. What can a nominal supervisor like me kill?” Si Hongche said sarcastically with a dark expression.
Benbu’s flat chest heaved, clearly very angry. Si Hongche was obviously gloating and deliberately opposing him.
He grabbed his pen to threaten Si Hongche with the elders, but Si Hongche didn’t even look at what he wrote and walked away.
Benbu rolled his eyes, wanting to stab Si Hongche to death with the pen.
“Director Si, the three messengers’ bodies have been carried down. Black Lantern Society’s main force is charging upstairs. Please go turn the tide!”
The guard captain was skilled at reading the wind. Seeing Benbu’s crushing defeat and preparing to flee for reinforcements, Si Hongche was now the only one who could take charge in the prison.
Thanks to Si Hongche’s notorious reputation over the years, the guards had a natural trust in him.
Si Hongche remained noncommittal but actually walked toward Oliver’s direction. His pace was quick, leaving the guards behind in a blink. His pure black long coat swayed in the stairwell. The guards looked up with a sense of security.
This fishing operation should have been under Director Si’s command from the start.
With the old madman’s assistance, Si Hongche soon met Black Lantern Society’s main force head-on.
He immediately spotted Oliver in the crowd. Oliver had a bitter expression, licking his lower lip and swallowing on average every second, as if he’d eaten something unbearable and was secretly digesting it.
He began thinking—how long had it been since he’d seen these vivid, lively little gestures?
Such cute behavior gradually overlapped the Oliver before him with his college memories.
He was so jealous. It turned out he wasn’t particularly special—Oliver’s expressions weren’t exclusive to him.
Oliver was naturally this vivid and lively; he’d just happened to be illuminated by this vitality for a while.
Si Hongche was trapped in inescapable regret, not taking a step forward, but Oliver still keenly sensed his presence.
Oliver’s expression instantly changed. That vivid look vanished from his face in an instant. He stood in front of his companions, staring at Si Hongche like facing a great enemy, quickly saying: “Everyone be careful. His first-tier ability [Envelope] can nullify abilities. Casting distance is one hundred meters, effective range diameter fifty-two meters!”
Hearing this, Black Lantern Society members all used their abilities, instantly scattering beyond one hundred meters, watching Si Hongche from afar and preparing for battle.
Only Oliver didn’t run, but he extended a vine twenty-seven meters in length.
If [Envelope] couldn’t completely cover a person, then nullification wouldn’t work. Oliver extended his flesh-and-blood vine twenty-seven meters—no matter what, Si Hongche couldn’t completely envelop him.
This first-tier ability was essentially useless against him.
Si Hongche was stunned, watching Oliver’s instinctive reaction. He wanted to smile bitterly but couldn’t.
Being too familiar meant they knew each other’s every weakness and could precisely hit each other’s soft spots.
So in his eyes, he was still this terrifying.
“Oli—” Si Hongche’s first-tier ability hadn’t activated, but Oliver had already launched his ability. Before he could finish calling one name, a vine pierced straight into his heart.
Plant-type S-level Awakened first-tier ability [Heart Questioning]!
The instant pain made Si Hongche think he was about to die. He could have activated [Command Obedience] to make Oliver cancel his ability, but he didn’t.
He looked down at the vine piercing his heart, the other end connected to Oliver’s palm. For a moment, he had the delusion that there was still a connection between them.
What did it feel like to be hurt by someone you loved?
He seemed to belatedly begin understanding Oliver’s state of mind for those eighteen years.
There was no such thing as true empathy in this world, unless you experienced it thoroughly yourself.
Blood seeped from the heart wound, staining a small dark patch on Si Hongche’s shirt under his coat.
“I’m asking you—who exactly is the old madman, and how does he control this prison?”
After months apart, when they met again, every word Oliver spoke was related to the jailbreak, not to him, Si Hongche.
Those eyes no longer brimmed with tears full of pleading and sorrow, but burned with flame again, reflecting light.
The pride and vitality he had crushed were gradually returning to Oliver’s body, like a withered plant slowly being nourished with new flesh and blood.
He had to admit Oliver was living well in Black Lantern Society—it had become Oliver’s new home.
Si Hongche couldn’t help wanting to answer.
When it came to interrogation, [Heart Questioning] was much more useful than his [Command Obedience]—this was also why he’d insisted on getting Oliver to join Blue Pivot.
He’d thought such a uniquely gifted ability shouldn’t be wasted on pursuing history no one cared about.
But he was obviously wrong.
Relying on being two years older than Oliver, he’d been too arrogant, too ignorant, too ridiculous. He thought he could guide Oliver forward, but instead dragged them both into hell.
“The old madman’s real name is Xu Zili, former deputy director of Blue Pivot Seventh District. His first-tier ability is [Copy], second-tier [Visual Distortion], third-tier [Space Cube]. There are hundreds of his copies in this prison, imprisoned by Asmodeus in various places. Wherever his gaze reaches, he can create visual distortions and spatial transfers—this is why the old madman can still control the prison even without surveillance.”
Si Hongche’s tone was calm, even carrying a barely perceptible carefulness. He gazed deeply at Oliver, reluctant to blink even once.
“Every prisoner held in solitary confinement without rare lead ore shackles is one of the old madman’s copies. Killing his copies can eliminate part of his vision, but this has minimal effect because he can copy infinitely, and when enemies arrive, he immediately transfers the copies.” Si Hongche’s speech gradually slowed, as if this way he could stay with Oliver a little longer.
“The most direct and effective method is to kill his main body. His main body needs timely nutrient infusion and isn’t very mobile, but unfortunately I don’t know where his main body is.”
This was something Asmodeus and Benbu had deliberately hidden from him.
He could feel Benbu’s exclusion of him. Though this exclusion was nominally righteous, Si Hongche understood that Benbu was simply jealous of the prestige he’d built in the restricted zone over the years.
Oliver gripped the vine’s end tightly, his palm already covered in sweat.
Though he appeared strong and sharp, his heart was in chaos.
Si Hongche’s shadow still lingered. Seeing him appear in those clothes, watching himself with such undisguised gaze, made his breathing rapid and anxious.
Just as he was about to ask the next question, Si Hongche continued directly.
“I don’t recommend you kill him.” Si Hongche paused, seeming to choose his words to make them less difficult to accept. “Among the key figures in the rebellion suppression eighteen years ago, only he hasn’t been affected by [Death Oath Curse], because he went mad after that battle. So now only he can tell the truth about that war, which concerns all of us.”
Oliver was stunned. He hadn’t asked about the rebellion suppression—Si Hongche didn’t need to tell him.
He suddenly realized Si Hongche wasn’t here for a life-or-death battle. This carefully planned capture and fishing operation was all for this moment, these words.
Oliver wasn’t someone swayed by emotions. Even though there was betrayal, disappointment, and harm between him and Si Hongche, he believed Si Hongche was telling the truth now.
Si Hongche watched Oliver’s changing expressions. Every tremor of those pale golden lashes seemed to reduce his numbness a little—his heart began to soften, his blood began to flow.
“Tell Lan Wendao that if he knew how brutal that war was, he’d understand that High Tower Guild isn’t ready yet. You must wait patiently and proceed gradually.”
With that, Si Hongche opened his palm and threw a USB drive to Oliver.
Oliver caught it, glancing at it from the corner of his eye.
It was an olive-shaped USB drive with a malnourished little pine tree carved on it.
Obviously, this was Si Hongche’s personal sentiment.
Oliver’s heart ached, and he was about to throw the USB drive back.
Si Hongche suddenly said: “This is Uriel’s video record I found in the third basement archive room. You’ll probably need to visit Utopia—the filthy business there is key to bringing down the Federation government.”
Oliver’s fingers slowly closed. Since it concerned his brother, he had to keep it.
“Why are you telling me all this?”
“…Because I’m sorry.”
Oliver was first shocked, then frowned. Only then did he realize he’d forgotten to retract the vine—Si Hongche had no choice but to answer his question.
But he didn’t want this answer. The three words “I’m sorry” were too harsh and absurd for him.
His whole body became uncomfortable as scenes from the past flashed through his mind like a slideshow. His memory was too good—he hadn’t forgotten any of it.
Which thing was he sorry for?
Not believing his words and sending him to AGW Special Dangerous Death Row Prison? Ruthlessly pushing him down and locking him in a cage after he lost Pine? Or fourteen years of uninterrupted mental and physical torture, in the name of love, with the righteousness of hate?
Oliver suddenly withdrew the vine, turning to his companions: “Let’s go.”
Si Hongche’s body trembled as he covered his chest, blood seeping through his fingers.
He could no longer stay calm, anxiously taking a few steps forward and calling in an almost pleading tone: “Oliver!”
Look at me again, I beg you—this might be our last meeting.
But Oliver didn’t turn back. He walked forward resolutely, brilliant golden light gradually gathering in his palm.
Instantly, ability pheromones exploded, olive fragrance filled the air, and the entire prison fell into a massive illusion.
The old madman completely lost his vision, spatial movement stopped abruptly, and the situation began to reverse.
Si Hongche watched helplessly as Oliver and his companions disappeared behind the carousel. In [Virtual Realm], as long as Oliver didn’t want to be found, he could never find him again.
What was this place?
Si Hongche looked up at the sky—it was very blue, as pure as if it had never been polluted. How long had it been since the capital had such blue skies?
He greedily enjoyed this blue sky, breathing in the plant fragrance. His gaze passed over the ice cream house, over the little bear restaurant, through the roller coaster’s curves, and saw a golden house.
The top floor had open windows where a little lion basked in sunlight at the windowsill, accompanied by Knight Bear, Long-Nose Guard, and Cabbage Maid. The fireworks on the roof were beautiful, illuminating the little lion’s emerald green eyes.
He remembered what this place was.
This was Golden House Theme Park, where they’d had their first date.
Si Hongche began walking, following distant memories. He circled around the carousel, passed through the jungle adventure, took promotional flyers handed out on the roadside, nodded to the dancing Knight Bear, and finally found that souvenir shop sitting in the sunlight.
—”This one’s called Knight Bear, this is Long-Nose Guard, this is Cabbage Maid. The little lion was adopted by the prince, and these three are good friends who grew up with him. He’s a little lion who can talk to toys.”
—”You really like them?”
—”Mm, but they’re too expensive. Sigh, everything’s expensive in theme parks. Let’s go queue for the roller coaster instead.”
—”You go first. I’ll buy two bottles of water.”
—”Just regular mineral water is fine!”
—”Got it.”
He watched Oliver’s golden hair flying as he ran toward the roller coaster’s long queue.
He gazed at that golden figure with a gentle smile, his heart full of love. After a while, he secretly took out this month’s living expenses and handed them to the clerk: “Please wrap up these plush toys for me.”
Do you have a dream you don’t want to wake up from?
He did.
—
**
(advanced chapters available on kofi)
Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152