Chapter 1532: Reunion and Hypothesis

Su Zhiwei was silent for a moment.

"This is an internal matter for the Nine Sovereigns. I will find a way to handle it."

Since Su Zhiwei had said as much, Chen Ling naturally had no objections. He fished a piece of beef out of the pot, swirled it in the sesame sauce, and popped it into his mouth.

Gurgle—

A clear sound of swallowing saliva came from behind.

Chen Ling looked back at the few people who were still sitting stiffly:

"The Sovereign of Red Dust isn't a man-eating tiger, what are you afraid of? If you want to eat, come over and eat."

Jian Changsheng and the others looked at Su Zhiwei. The latter picked up a piece of beef, smiled slightly, and gestured for them to come over.

Jian Changsheng really couldn't resist. His injuries hadn't fully healed, and he had been doing hard labor every day without eating anything good. The aroma of the hotpot was practically hooking his soul out... He gritted his teeth, braced himself, sat down at the hotpot, and gave Su Zhiwei a sheepish smile:

"Sorry to intrude... Your Excellency, Sovereign of Red Dust."

Then he picked up his small bowl and started devouring the food.

With Jian Changsheng leading the way, Jin Fugui and Jiang Xiaohua immediately followed. The five of them crowded around the small table. Jian Changsheng and Jin Fugui, in particular, were like two starving ghosts, frantically looting the ingredients in the pot, as if they had completely forgotten that the Sovereign of Red Dust was sitting right next to them.

Su Zhiwei had only picked up a few bites at first, but later she didn't see any cooked ingredients left in the pot. She silently put down her chopsticks and started drinking water.

Chen Ling wanted to kick them under the table. After all, this was the Sovereign of Red Dust's soup base, ingredients, and even the chopsticks and bowls were hers. What was the meaning of snatching it all until she didn't even have a chance to eat?

But Su Zhiwei didn't seem to care. She signaled for Chen Ling not to worry about it and said softly:

"I'm full... care to walk with me?"

"Sure."

Chen Ling and Su Zhiwei rose from their seats, leaving the hotpot entirely to Jian Changsheng and the others, and walked side by side along the riverbank.

Bright stars twinkled in the night sky. Su Zhiwei hesitated for a long time before finally speaking:

"You are already preparing the save file to overwrite the next world, right?"

"That's right."

"Have you... seen Yao Qing?"

Chen Ling was stunned.

It seemed Su Zhiwei's special trip to find him wasn't just for the "official business" of the Nine Sovereigns... She had some personal motives as well.

"Yes."

Su Zhiwei pressed her lips together. She seemed to have many questions to ask and many things to say, but when they reached her lips, she didn't know what to say...

"You want me to keep him alive in the next world, right?" Chen Ling voiced her inner thoughts for her.

"...From a personal standpoint, yes."

"Ultimately, he died because his lifespan was exhausted, not because he was killed by someone... I can't help you with that." Chen Ling replied truthfully. "Besides, his efforts over these hundreds of years were all to extend your life... Humanity cannot be without the Sovereign of Red Dust."

"Perhaps... there will always be a way?"

Chen Ling looked at the cautious Su Zhiwei and sighed deeply in his heart.

"Dr. Su, you have to understand that even if I save Yao Qing in the next world, the version of him in the next world won't be the one you know, and even you in the next world... won't be the you of this moment."

"I know." Su Zhiwei paused for a moment. "We in this world are already separated by life and death... I just hope that in the next world, there won't be too many regrets left behind."

Chen Ling suddenly seemed to remember something and stopped in his tracks.

"Do you... want to see him one more time?"

Su Zhiwei froze in place.

"...Can I?"

Chen Ling raised his hand, and a red paper umbrella appeared in his grasp. As the umbrella opened, a blurred ghost slowly took shape in the void beside him...

The moment she saw the ghost, Su Zhiwei trembled all over. Her lips parted slightly, and she called out that name in disbelief:

"Yao... Qing?"

"I snatched his ghost back from the Ancient Ghost Path Treasury." Chen Ling said slowly. "However, because his soul was split in two, most of the ghost doesn't have the ability to communicate. I can't guarantee whether you two will be able to interact."

Chen Ling checked the time and didn't disturb them further, instead turning to walk in the other direction.

"This is the world of the living; a ghost's survival time outside the umbrella is very limited... You two, make the most of your time."

After giving his instructions, Chen Ling's figure completely vanished into the darkness.

Su Zhiwei must have had a lot to say to Yao Qing. Although Yao Qing might not be able to answer, for her, being able to see Yao Qing one more time was already quite rare... Chen Ling didn't intend to be a third wheel.

After he left, Su Zhiwei stared blankly at the Yao Qing before her, subconsciously raising her hand to touch the face that was etched deep into her memory...

But the next second, her fingertips passed lightly through Yao Qing.

At the same time,

A faint, blurred sound came from within Yao Qing's ghost:

"Zhiwei... sis... ter..."

……

When Chen Ling checked the time and returned after his stroll, only Su Zhiwei was left standing alone by the dim riverbank, staring blankly at the ruins of the Tower of Babel in the distance.

Chen Ling didn't know what they had talked about, but Su Zhiwei's expression seemed more peaceful and serene than ever. The lingering tear stains at the corners of her eyes spoke of the past that belonged only to her and Yao Qing.

Yao Qing's ghost had already been collected back into the red umbrella. After all, Yao Qing wasn't killed by Chen Ling himself, so he couldn't use [Abyssal Ghost Crossing] to keep him in the world of the living for long. If he stayed in the world of the living for too long, his soul would scatter.

"Are you okay?" Chen Ling walked to Su Zhiwei's side and asked softly.

Su Zhiwei nodded.

Beside the shimmering water, Su Zhiwei turned her head and looked into Chen Ling's eyes... Her gaze was sincere and earnest.

"...Thank you."

"Don't mention it. You saved me once; this is only right."

"I have a question." Su Zhiwei paused. "If the world resets, can the soul in your red paper umbrella... be brought to the next world?"

Chen Ling froze in place.

Chen Ling hadn't thought about this question, nor had he tried it... The previous Red Kings weren't the Calamity of Mockery and didn't have the red paper umbrella skill, so they hadn't left him any experience to refer to.

But logically speaking, the red paper umbrella was his own skill, which meant it was part of the Calamity of Mockery... If he were the one to reset the world himself, it should, perhaps, maybe... not disappear when the world was reset?

"I... I'm not sure either." Chen Ling replied truthfully. "I haven't tried it."

Su Zhiwei looked into his eyes, her expression becoming increasingly serious. She then asked:

"If... I'm saying if..."

"If your red paper umbrella can bring the souls within it to the next world... does that mean that people who died in this world could potentially... gain a new life in the next world?"