Chapter 1349: The Back

On the edge of a dim cliff, Jian Changsheng walked out quietly, pulling up his pants.

He was already some distance away from the underground palace. It wasn't that he didn't want to find a closer spot, but the moment he stepped out, those two little centipedes kept staring at him. They didn't understand when he said he needed to use the bathroom, so he had no choice but to use the Blood-Drop Top to teleport away...

If the human domains knew that the dignified [Asura] was using a Blood-Drop Top just to go to the bathroom, he would probably become the shame of the Soldier God Path.

"Phew... that dinner was really toxic."

Jian Changsheng muttered to himself as he turned and walked back toward the underground palace.

Just then, he suddenly sensed something and turned to look at the cliff not far away.

The faint blue light of mayflies flickered silently in the dark abyss. At the end of the towering, lonely cliff, a figure draped in a bright red opera robe was sitting quietly...

Below his feet was the abyss,

behind him was the palace,

and in his hands, he held an old radio.

"...Red Heart?" Jian Changsheng’s eyes flashed with confusion when he saw the figure.

Wasn't he supposed to be patrolling the Ghost-Mockery Abyss and chatting with the eighth-rank poison lords? Why was he sitting here all by himself?

Jian Changsheng hesitated for a moment, silently suppressed all his aura to the extreme, and then approached the cliff area without a sound...

As he got closer, the sound from the radio reached his ears:

"Shhh-shhh-shhh..."

"I am Chen Yu, a frontline reporter for the Xuanyu Domain!"

"Starting from early this morning, the long-dormant Falsehood Mountains have once again launched a fierce attack on the border. The entire defense line of the Xuanyu Domain has been activated. If you hear thunderous roars at home accompanied by slight tremors, please do not panic..."

"The defense of the Xuanyu Domain is a protracted war, and also an ultimate test of personal will and physical strength. We hope every citizen will follow the broadcast instructions, travel in an orderly fashion, and not cause chaos in the city. Let us pray and cheer for the soldiers on the front lines together."

"Next, we will interview a few citizens to hear what they have to say to the soldiers on the front lines."

(Sound of footsteps)

"Hello, is there anything you would like to say to the soldiers on the front lines?"

"The Xuanyu Domain will win!! The Esoteric Sect will win!! Defeat those damn Calamities and drive them out of our homeland!!"

"You might not be able to see it, but this citizen is currently wearing clothing printed with 'The Xuanyu Domain Will Win' and has a red 'Combat' headband tied around his head; he is very enthusiastic... There is also a child here, let's hear what he has to say?"

"Big sister, will what I say reach the front lines?"

"Yes, little one, the soldiers on the front lines will also hear your voices through the radio station."

"Daddy, you must do your best on the front lines and kill more Calamities! Mom and I are waiting at home for you to come back..."

"It seems the child’s father is one of the soldiers on the front lines... Let us pray together for his early triumphant return! Let us pass the microphone to the next citizen."

"Um... I believe the soldiers on the front lines will definitely protect the Xuanyu Domain with all their might. Here, I want to say 'thank you' to Lord Tianhuai, General Jian, and all the soldiers fighting bloody battles on the front lines."

"This citizen is very sincere... However, General Jian hasn't appeared for the last two days; perhaps he was injured on the previous battlefield and is currently recuperating..."

"I don't know if General Jian is listening to our program right now. If he is, I hope he can draw encouragement from it and regain his strength soon! Let us look forward to his return to the battlefield and the reappearance of the General’s might!"

"GENERAL JIAN!! KILL THEM ALL!" (The voice of the 'Victory Brother' sounded from afar again).

“……”

Jian Changsheng stood frozen in place.

The sobbing cold wind brushed across the dim Ghost-Mockery Abyss...

At the end of the towering cliff, the figure draped in the bright red opera robe was holding the radio, listening intently. The hem of the opera robe danced in the wind, like a lonely flower swaying in the darkness.

He sat there with his head bowed, like a solitary sculpture, silent and motionless.

……

"Spade, why did you just get back?"

Jiang Xiaohua, lying on the bed, asked in confusion as he saw Jian Changsheng walk in, looking dazed.

"Oh... nothing, I just got a little lost."

Jian Changsheng saw the situation in the room and couldn't help but ask:

"What is Diamond doing?"

At this moment, Sun Bumian was sitting cross-legged on his bed, his hands forming mysterious seals, his eyes closed. Invisible rings like ripples emerged from the void around him, slowly spreading in all directions.

"Diamond said he wants to help Red Heart suppress the ominous energy here so it will be more comfortable to live in," Jiang Xiaohua replied truthfully.

"Oh..."

Jian Changsheng looked at the fully focused Sun Bumian and nodded slightly.

As expected of an auspicious omen, even in such an ominous place, he could still play a role in suppressing it... In contrast, he himself had nothing he could do to help.

In Jian Changsheng’s mind, the image of the lonely figure in red he had just seen resurfaced.

Jian Changsheng hadn't approached him at the time, choosing to leave silently instead. On the way back, he had been pondering everything that had happened since they arrived at the Ghost-Mockery Abyss...

"Plum Blossom," Jian Changsheng asked suddenly.

"What's wrong?"

"Don't you think Red Heart is acting weird?"

Jiang Xiaohua tilted his head and thought carefully, "I don't think so."

"...Forget it, asking you is a waste of time." Jian Changsheng paused for a moment, "Is it my imagination... even though he is entertaining us very attentively, I always feel... he is deliberately inducing us to leave."

The toxic dinner, the crazed tableware, the terrible poisonous wine, the crude bedding, and... Chen Ling’s Calamity-style words and actions.

Jian Changsheng knew that the current Chen Ling had merged with the Mockery Calamity and was no longer the same as before, so he hadn't felt it was strange at the dinner table... But when he saw that back sitting alone on the hilltop holding a radio, he suddenly realized that Chen Ling might be doing it on purpose.

He was "showing" them the life of a Calamity; he was trying to make them realize...

Calamities and humans are different.

"...What do you mean?"

Jiang Xiaohua’s eyes were full of confusion, "I think Red Heart is very good to us. He cooked the food himself, and the wine was delicious... Why would he want us to leave?"

"You... sigh, you idiot."

After Jian Changsheng muttered this, he seemed to have made a decision and turned to walk out of the room again.

"Spade, where are you going?"

"This palace is too dark and too cold... I'm going to find some lamps and light it up."