Chapter 345: Lost in the Flower Field

This smear of white ash... when did it get on him?

In Chen Ling’s mind, he suddenly recalled the Clown’s finger brushing against the tip of his nose. It must have been then that he left some kind of method inside his body?!

He immediately plunged his hands into the puddle, scooped up a handful of clear water, and splashed it on his face, trying to wash away the white ash.

But no matter how hard he tried, the white ash seemed to have grown onto the tip of his nose; it didn't fade in the slightest. And as Chen Ling’s physical and mental energy were frantically consumed, the white ash gradually grew larger...

He was becoming more and more like a "Clown."

Chen Ling’s brow furrowed. After washing his face with clear water several times to no avail, he simply reached for his chin, grabbed his facial skin, and tore it hard!

Rip—

As a piece of skin with white ash drifted down, beneath it was another layer of skin with a white-ash dot on the nose...

Chen Ling’s brow furrowed even tighter. He frantically tore off faces and replaced them, but no matter who he became, that dot of white ash was like a mark that clung to him like a maggot on a bone, impossible to shake off. Until, after Chen Ling tore off another layer of skin, his fingertips could only touch a smooth surface.

He could no longer use [Faceless].

Not just [Faceless], but [Scarlet Trickery] and [Judgment Court] skills also received no response. As his mental energy was drained and the white ash on his nose took shape, his skills were also sealed, and he had completely turned into an ordinary person.

Even though he had left the Ugly Peak, the Clown’s power was still at work. Perhaps this white ash was a tracking mark; as long as the Clown broke free from Plum K, he would still be able to find him?

"Damn it... Hahahaha..."

Chen Ling stood up staggeringly, supporting himself with his weak legs, and walked bit by bit toward the pale flower field.

He knew he was reaching his limit, but no matter what, he couldn't lose consciousness in the Gray World. Who knew if a bold Calamity would come over to take a bite after he fainted, or if he would be caught by the Clown who had broken free?

But... where exactly was the Red Dust Boundary?

Chen Ling stepped into the flowers with difficulty, but he could no longer find the way into the boundary. Just as Plum K had said... the Red Dust Boundary, you couldn't just enter it whenever you wanted.

The images in his vision began to stretch, like a black-and-white movie with frames missing, and his consciousness gradually blurred.

A breeze blew through the sea of flowers, which surged silently. A red-clad figure walked through them with difficulty, like a lost soul wandering in the mesmerizing flowers. His footsteps grew heavier and heavier, until finally, he stumbled and collapsed into the waves of flowers.

"...Red Dust..." his parched lips parted, and he lost consciousness completely.

The gray world fell into deathly silence, with only the pale flowers swaying in the wind. A touch of scarlet was dotted among the white waves of flowers, like a lonely martyr.

Whoosh—

As a breeze blew, scattered petals from the flowers were swept into the sky.

A figure appeared silently beside the red-clad figure, standing amidst the swaying flowers and swirling petals, like a ghost.

The figure looked at Chen Ling, a complex emotion flashing in their eyes...

A helpless sigh sounded.

The hem of a white lab coat, dancing in the wind, brushed lightly against the red robe. The next moment, Chen Ling’s figure vanished without a trace.

The gray world returned to deathly silence.

……

"Eh?"

In the Red Dust Boundary, within a desolate little town, a figure wearing an opera robe slowly raised their head and looked in a certain direction.

The sunset was gradually sinking into the earth. Between the overgrown wilderness, a simple, unfinished opera stage stood alone. At this moment, beside the stage, several figures were busy, covered in sweat, holding wood and hammers.

They were wearing performance costumes, knocking and tapping on the stage, seemingly testing if it could support people walking on it. Their clothes and faces were covered in dust, and from time to time, they would laugh and chat, looking toward the distance.

In the direction of the sunset, one could see a lush green forest and houses with wisps of cooking smoke rising in the distance.

A moment later,

One of them walked over to the opera-robed figure and paused for a moment:

"Master, move your butt; you're sitting on our wooden board."

"Not so." The opera-robed figure remained seated, speaking leisurely. "What this master is sitting on is not a wooden board, but an opera stage."

"...Master, it’s a wooden board right now; it’s only an opera stage tomorrow."

"This master will not step off the opera stage."

"..." The person paused and turned to bring over a small stool. "Master, sit here."

"Haha, good disciple, you are the most thoughtful."

"Didn't you say you wouldn't step off the opera stage?"

"Hmph, wherever this master is, that is the opera stage."

The figure moved their butt off the wooden board without haste, sat on the small stool, leaned back in the chair in a relaxed manner, and gently waved a fan in the twilight, their gaze fixed in a certain direction.

"Master, what are you looking at?"

"Looking at someone."

"Who?"

"The Sixth."

"Little Junior Brother??"

Hearing these two words, everyone’s eyes lit up. They immediately put down their work and gathered around. "Little Junior Brother is in the Red Dust Boundary? When are we going to pick him up?"

"Hmph, how come you aren't usually this attentive to this master?" The figure waved the fan a bit faster. "Now that you hear the Sixth is here, your eyes are all shining?"

"Master, how can you say that... Aren't we usually attentive enough to you?"

"Isn't the food the Third makes adjusted to your taste?"

"Aren't your clothes woven by the Second?"

"And..."

"Alright, alright, I know you want to go find him... However, now is not the time."

"Why??"

"How did I teach you?" The figure pointed to the simple, unfinished opera stage. "The stage is already built; if you don't finish the performance, where do you want to run off to?"

Everyone felt a bit dejected, but then said,

"But we are only performing three shows in total; we can finish them in three days, right? Can we go then?"

"But didn't the Second Senior Sister go to the Aurora Boundary? Didn't they come back together?"

"There are so many towns in the Red Dust Boundary, which town is Little Junior Brother in?"

“……”

The opera-robed figure waved the fan and spoke leisurely, "You just focus on performing these few shows well. As for the rest, this master has his own arrangements... If I see you performing half-heartedly these next few days, you’ll have a bitter time when we get back."

They looked at each other helplessly, knowing they couldn't move him, and finally walked back to the unfinished stage to continue repairing it.

As they left, in the twilight of the sunset, only that one figure remained sitting there, their shadow gradually elongated by the setting sun...

The smile at the corners of their mouth gradually faded, and in their eyes looking into the distance, the gaze was as deep as an abyss.

"Who... exactly are you?"