Three days before Shi Deng’s birthday arrived, everyone had already begun preparations.
Now was late July—when sunflowers bloomed. However, Shi Deng’s body hadn’t fully recovered. Everyone tacitly didn’t travel far, just preparing the birthday party at Yuan Guang.
Calling it a party—only the few of them participated anyway.
Yuan Ting and the other two, plus Chi Yu, needless to say—helping Uncle Fu prepare dinner.
“This is actually our three people’s birthday. Shi-ge, Xiao Deng, do you have any birthday gifts you want?”
These days, Shi Deng had transformed Xiao Deng back to human form.
When Xiao Deng first appeared, Cen Le expressed surprise, thinking Xiao Deng was Shi-ge’s child.
Though Shi-ge didn’t refute it, Shi Deng still sensed he was somewhat gloomy. So he smiled and explained, saying the three of them were brothers.
Three brothers with such similar appearances—shocked Yuan Ting and the other two. But after two days of amazement, everyone accepted this explanation.
Shi-ge said: “Actually, only you’re celebrating a birthday.”
Shi Deng looked up.
The young man yanked Xiao Deng from the bed, dressing him while saying to Shi Deng: “Xiao Deng is the past. The past doesn’t celebrate the future’s birthday. I’m the future. The future doesn’t celebrate the past’s birthday.”
Shi Deng was the present.
A string of tongue-twister-like words. Shi Deng understood. “Shi-ge, don’t be so particular. After retrograding time, my appearance hasn’t changed much. Time is also static on me.”
Shi-ge: “If it truly were static, your hair shouldn’t have turned white.”
Xiao Deng bounced on the ground twice, then put on shoes. “I think Shi-ge’s right.”
Shi Deng: “Whatever he says, you say is right. Clingy little thing.”
Xiao Deng hugged Shi-ge’s leg, making a face at him. “I’m you. You call yourself clingy—that means you’re clingy~”
Shi Deng tattled: “Shi-ge, look at him.”
Shi-ge: “Why argue with him?”
Who this sentence referred to was unclear.
Shi Deng pinched Xiao Deng’s face. “Misbehave and I’ll turn you into a cat.”
They played around a while before Uncle Fu called them out to eat.
The following three days, everything was normal.
On the birthday itself, Shi-ge went out using the excuse of buying Shi Deng a gift.
From the day Shi Deng said he wanted to celebrate, Shi-ge would often lock himself in his room—who knows doing what. Said he was preparing gifts, yet now had to go out buying them.
Shi Deng teased him for quite a while, telling him to return quickly or he’d miss the evening fireworks.
Shi-ge looked at him for a moment, smiled, and said okay.
***
Tiangu.
The reception at Tiangu this time was obviously different from usual.
The rarely-seen Tiangu leader personally came to receive him. “Mr. Shi, you’ve finally arrived.”
This final energy transmission—whether it could prevent Yuan Marrow’s dissipation remained uncertain, but it represented hope. And hope was infinitely better than resigned despair.
Moreover, he sought nothing from Tiangu.
The leader: “If Mr. Shi hadn’t come soon, it would’ve been too late. Regardless, Yuan Marrow—at the latest by tomorrow, according to original convention, it should be escorted to sea.”
“We can’t know if the outcome will be better, but at least we’re doing everything humanly possible. The rest is beyond our control.”
Shi-ge walked ahead. His identity remained confidential among most people. He still wore his hood, never removing it.
The young man said faintly, “For this final energy transmission, no need to trouble Tiangu’s upper echelon. Just leaving Chi Yu alone is fine.”
This was previously agreed upon. The leader naturally had no objection. His expression also became more solemn. “Rest assured. Also, that one at your home—is he better?”
Shi-ge: “Mm.”
The leader: “That’s good, that’s good. Then I’ll escort you here. Sincerely hope for success!”
He extended his hand. Shi-ge briefly grasped it.
The leader left with others. Only Shi-ge and Chi Yu remained here.
The rear doors locked tightly shut.
Ahead was an expansive plaza. Black stone surface, neat and grand, with complex patterns and radiance faintly flickering within.
A pure energy vaguely dispersed outward.
Yuan Marrow was beneath this.
Shi-ge stood to the side for a long time without moving.
Chi Yu glanced at him. “You seem particularly quiet today.”
Though he usually didn’t talk much either, today this guy gave him a different feeling.
He took a drag on his cigarette. “This doesn’t quite match what you said before. Initially, didn’t you say energy transmission once every month or two? This final time—you’ve dragged it out quite a while.”
“You’re not hiding something from me, are you?”
Shi-ge: “Just leaving some time for myself to make a choice.”
Chi Yu: “Choice?”
He didn’t ask what choice. Just narrowed his eyes. “Then your answer?”
Shi-ge walked toward the black platform’s center, sitting cross-legged.
He briefly instructed, “If any accident occurs soon, use spatial transfer to move me beside you. Don’t worry about the rest. When I wake, I’ll explain.”
No matter how vast the energy poured into Yuan Marrow, it would still dissipate when it should.
He wasn’t engaging in futile work—just establishing an equivalent energy exchange link.
Before Chi Yu could ask what accident, the young man closed his eyes.
Blood-red water flow gradually appeared around him, green leaves floating atop. The vast breath of vitality and death permeated outward.
Suddenly, at a certain moment, Yuan Marrow’s aura weakened.
Shi-ge groaned. The fine water flow swirling around him instantly became a broad water curtain, also enveloping Chi Yu at the stone platform’s edge.
Chi Yu watched blood spill from the young man’s lips. His heart jumped. “Hey…”
Whether due to excessive strength or pride, he’d seemingly never seen this guy spit blood before. Right now, he must be unable to endure it to show such appearance.
After a few seconds, the weakened Yuan Marrow’s aura reappeared.
Yet the young man’s body gradually leaned backward. His entire person floated up. The broad hood slipped down. In the void, several chains suddenly emerged, tightly binding his body.
His waist was bent into an extremely resilient arc, rising upward.
Those chains were transparent white with eerie red patterns. Chi Yu had seen them during Feng City—called time chains. He counted carefully—eleven total.
Simultaneously, a pitch-black crack abruptly split open above. These eleven chains emerging from the fissure were strangling the young man, suddenly rushing toward that gap.
Chi Yu startled. “!”
Without time to think, he instantly used spatial transfer. One second before the young man entered the fissure, he transferred him to his side.
Then tightly gripped the young man’s shoulder.
The moment he touched, he sensed that tremendous force still pulling Shi-ge toward that crack. Chi Yu exerted every ounce of strength, barely stabilizing. His feet still slid toward there.
He couldn’t help gasping sharply.
Damn, this force—this guy’s waist won’t be torn in half, will it?!
Chi Yu hastily freed one hand to grab the chains on Shi-ge’s body. The instant the chain touched his palm, a needle-piercing, heart-drilling pain invaded his mind.
Caught off-guard, Chi Yu shuddered, nearly crying from pain. He endured, gritting his teeth and pulling back forcefully. Veins bulged at his temples.
“Hey! Wake up! What the hell is this?!”
“If you don’t wake, I’m also getting eaten by this crack!”
Chi Yu, an ability user approaching top-level, surprisingly couldn’t overcome these eleven chains. He helplessly watched himself and Shi-ge together, drawing closer and closer to that chain.
The deeper inside, the stronger that attraction—simply an irresistible force.
What the hell is this?! Chi Yu wanted to curse someone’s ancestors.
One line away from the fissure, Shi-ge’s body had already entered halfway. Despite cursing constantly, Chi Yu didn’t release his grip, desperately clutching him. Inadvertently glancing up into the fissure, his pupils contracted. Inside the fissure, he saw this fragment—
[That was a yellowish-brown continent. Blood-colored sky shrouded with ominous aura.
Black crows hovered over withered bones. Contamination qi permeated everywhere.
Not far away stood a city. On the gate, two large characters: Feng City.
Someone pushed open the city gate, walking out from within. The young man’s clothing could no longer discern its original color. Scattered bloodstains splattered his profile. The aura surrounding him—indifferent and numb.
·
Behind him was also a bloody path.
Yet the young man showed not a trace of weakness. No wounds visible on his body either.
He stared expressionlessly toward the sky. Eyes lightless—a dull gray-blue, like a dust-covered blue gemstone.
The young man extended his hand, lightly tapping the void. A magnificent river immediately appeared around him. He seemed to hesitate—making no next move for a long time, frowning slightly.
However, the next moment, sudden change erupted.
The blood river he’d summoned abruptly scattered. The ground before the young man began collapsing—as if the world started crumbling. Everything ahead dissolved into nothingness.
Within that nothingness, countless time chains suddenly appeared. Immediately after, a youth’s low murmur transmitted: “Time retrograde.”
The young man looked up. Possessed by something, he grasped one of those chains.
His form instantly vanished.]
The moment the young man disappeared, Chi Yu clearly saw his face—shockingly, it was Shi-ge.
Chi Yu’s mind shaken, his hand loosened. The young man immediately entered the fissure. The crack vanished at visible speed.
“Damn!”
***
Yuan Guang.
Shi Deng’s heart twinged slightly. Fingers trembling lightly, his cup overturned, smashing to the ground with a bang.
Uncle Fu exclaimed, “Leader, be more careful.”
Shi Deng suppressed inexplicable unease. “What time is it now?”
Uncle Fu checked the time. “Four sixteen in the afternoon.”
“How long has Shi-ge been out?”
Uncle Fu: “He left at noon. What could possibly take this long to buy?”
Now the sun had already started setting westward. Any later and he’d miss the evening fireworks.
Shi Deng called but couldn’t get through. He then called Chi Yu instead—also no answer.
The youth frowned, visibly growing anxious.
Xiao Deng patted his leg. “Maybe Shi-ge wants to surprise you?”
Shi Deng pressed his lips together. “He’s never broken a promise to me. Not once. Shi-ge said he’d be here for the fireworks. He will be.”
***
Underground Yuan Guang.
Black mist surged violently for an instant. Voice somewhat puzzled: “Yuan Marrow… seems weaker…?”
Yuan probed, calling the contamination qi across this continent, wanting to break free early from time chain constraints. Yet the next moment, it sensed again that suffocating oppressive feeling unique to Yuan Marrow.
It cursed once, thinking it was human conspiracy, and stopped probing.
***
Tiangu.
A pale hand reached out before the fissure completely healed. Immediately after, another hand also followed, forcibly prying open both sides of the crack.
Two or three seconds later, under Chi Yu’s stunned gaze, this fissure tore open again.
The young man’s figure stepped out. Each step extremely slow and deliberate. After completely emerging from the fissure, Shi-ge turned around. Expressionless, he summoned time chains, forcibly sealing the crack until no trace remained.
The eleven chains on his body vanished in a blink. Shi-ge landed on the ground, face deathly pale. His Adam’s apple rolled, swallowing down the sweet metallic taste surging up his throat.
Shi-ge: “You saw it, right?”
That scene beyond the fissure.
Chi Yu was truly baffled. “I mean, what the hell is going on with you…”
Shi-ge casually found a place to sit. Right now he also had no strength. Faintly: “That’s Shi Deng’s future appearance.”
That was Shi Deng’s future without choosing to save the world.
Chi Yu was shocked. “But what I clearly saw was your face. Could it be?”
Shi-ge: “I am his future.”
“…”
This news stunned Chi Yu somewhat. He took a long time to recover, sorting things out. “You’re his future. Then Xiao Deng is the past? How’s that possible? Though it’s time ability, existing simultaneously in unified spacetime—absolutely unheard of.”
Shi-ge: “From when Shi Deng chose time retrograde, his future and past severed. The fissure you just saw—that’s the fracture between future and present.”
“To repair the fracture, I must be pulled back to the future.”
Xiao Deng didn’t experience fissures because past to present is sequential order, while future to present is reverse order.
Reverse order isn’t permitted.
Except the first retrograde when he accidentally appeared beside Shi Deng—the subsequent eleven retrogrades, every time reaching Shi Deng’s side, he swam against the current.
Chi Yu: “Then those eleven chains on you pull you back? I just saw they seemingly didn’t disappear. Are they still wrapped around you?”
Just invisible to them.
Shi-ge: “That’s a small matter. Aside from some ignorable pulling sensation, no impact whatsoever.”
Defying time always requires paying some price. This price was already quite small.
Chi Yu fell silent.
Ignorable pulling sensation?
That could tear someone’s limbs apart.
How hadn’t he noticed before this guy was so proud? Earlier he’d touched those chains—just gripping with his hand felt like needle-piercing. Eleven chains binding his body, yet this guy could still talk to him so nonchalantly.
“…I saw in the fissure—in the future, you also walked out from Feng City. Then summoned Yellow Springs.”
Chi Yu wanted to ask: Why did future you also emerge from Feng City?
Did you also experience those things in Feng City?
Why, after walking out of Feng City and summoning Yellow Springs, did you hesitate with no next action?
Future.
Such a mysterious word, filling people with exploratory desire.
Shi-ge: “At that time, I faced a choice. Somewhat conflicted, which is why I grasped the time chain from the past.”
“But I already knew the answer long ago.”
Shi-ge seemed to have recovered considerably. Standing up, gazing toward the evening glow rolling at the sky’s edge, he smiled.
“The fireworks ceremony is about to start. If I’m late, someone will get angry. He’s very difficult to appease. Let’s go.”
—
[Damn, Tupi (Bald Brush – author nickname) never releases content about Shi-ge, but this time—boom, drops a massive bomb QAQ. This is murder!]
[Pretty obvious, isn’t it? In the future, Shi-ge also walked out from Feng City. When he exposed Shi Deng’s leader identity back then, he said he wanted to get an answer from Shi Deng, so he made Shi Deng also enter Feng City.
When Shi Deng came out of Feng City, he didn’t choose to grasp Shi-ge—instead grabbed the illusory sunset. For Shi-ge, that was a choice, wasn’t it?]
[‘The fireworks ceremony is about to start, if I’m late…’ Shi-ge was clearly already swallowed into the fissure belonging to the future, then forcibly tore the fissure open again to emerge—was it because of his promise with Shi Deng? QAQ]
[Except for the first time returning to the present, the subsequent eleven times were all Shi-ge actively rushing toward Shi Deng?]
[Eleven chains correspond exactly to eleven journeys. Those chains wrapped around his body are the price, right?]
[#image# The pulling force Chi Yu sensed when grabbing Shi-ge.
#image# Chi Yu’s pained expression the instant he gripped the chains.
#image# Shi-ge’s casual, nonchalant expression when saying there’s no impact.
Meow, I knew it—when Shi-ge played the Two Worlds Song back then, those chains that appeared weren’t anything good. Having this thing wrapped around you—isn’t that a living hell every day?]
[Past walking toward present is sequential order, no price, so Xiao Deng is safe. But future rushing toward present is reverse order, violating the rules, so Shi-ge has punitive chains on his body tat]
[The companionship Shi baby thought he had—someone was actually swimming against the current again and again to reach his side. If Shi baby knew, wouldn’t his heart break?]
[Shi-ge probably tampered with Yuan Marrow, right? Shi baby also seems to be hiding things. I bet—after Shi baby’s birthday, during the Yuan Marrow incident, someone definitely dies.]
[Be bolder—maybe two people.]
[I just want to see how else Tupi can stab us. The cruelest is everyone dying. If I cry, I’ll kneel and call you all daddies.]
A question quietly emerged:
[Wait. Shi-ge walked out from Feng City with no wounds on his body. So that bloody path behind Shi-ge—did Feng City people harm him, or did he slaughter everyone in Feng City?
Or maybe, those who survived in Feng City were actually ability users, and Shi-ge killed them all, planning to destroy the world?]
This question immediately sparked intense discussion.
Both sides held their ground, arguing endlessly.
But their debate was destined to have no resolution. Tupi hadn’t drawn everything Shi-ge experienced. The future remained forever mysterious.
No one knew what that young man—always cold-faced, occasionally showing traces of tenderness—was actually thinking after walking out from Feng City.
***
Shi-ge going out to buy gifts was just an excuse.
He left at noon. Now the sunset blazed brilliantly. If he returned without gifts in hand, Shi Deng would inevitably grow suspicious.
He told Chi Yu to return first. He himself walked along the streets flanking Tiangu’s training base.
This place was familiar. He’d walked here countless times with Yuan Ting and the other two, also served as instructor, walking here many times with Chi Yu.
Shi-ge’s gaze fell on a streetlamp.
Suddenly remembered—two years ago in winter, right here, he’d picked up a certain dejected little cat whose name on the ID badge wouldn’t glow.
That scene seemed like yesterday. The young man’s lips curved slightly.
He withdrew his gaze, walking along the street. Inadvertently glimpsing a flower shop, under the warm sunset glow, sunflowers at the shop entrance bloomed especially beautifully.
Shi-ge stopped. After a moment, he walked inside.
The shop’s wind chimes rang softly, seemingly welcoming this hooded young man.
Shi-ge: “Anyone here? Buying flowers.”
Behind half-length bead curtains was a figure—probably the owner. The shop owner wore a straw hat commonly worn by flower farmers, seemingly yawning. Voice muffled: “…Mm, take them yourself. Too lazy to move.”
Shi-ge also didn’t want others’ help. He carefully selected several sunflowers himself, wrapping them in paper, tying a pretty bow, using scissors to trim excess stems.
The young man lowered his head. His nose lightly touched warm yellow petals. He smiled.
“How much?”
He pulled out his phone, discovering it was dead. Couldn’t transfer payment. Shi-ge paused. “Sorry, phone’s dead. Can I use card?”
Shop owner: “On me.”
Shi-ge: “On you?”
Shop owner: “Mm, my treat.”
Now dusk gathered. The flower shop had few visitors. Gifting flowers to someone pleasing wasn’t unusual.
Shi-ge didn’t fuss. Politely: “Many thanks.”
He walked out. Wind chimes rang softly again.
Shi-ge sensed something. The instant he turned back—inside the shop, bead curtains swayed. The shadow of the shop owner behind them remained silent.
For a moment, he wanted to return and pay. But watched the shop’s automatic door slowly close. Inside, a “Temporarily Closed” sign flipped up.
The young man paused, lowering his eyes to cradle the flowers in his hands. Fingertips lightly tapping petals.
In the distance, on a clock tower, the hands had one minute until six o’clock.
The fireworks ceremony time was at six.
Actually, earlier he’d also faced a choice. If he chose to return and pay through troublesome means, he might miss the fireworks ceremony.
Once hesitating, he lost the chance to return and pay.
Shi-ge’s figure disappeared around the corner.
Actually, some choices didn’t require his deliberation. From the start, they were already destined.
***
wannaberecluse On SRTT Chapter 50.1