Chapter 647: Will Not Sing Again

Kong Baosheng’s grandmother had died.

Before Chu Muyun could arrive.

Kong Baosheng would never forget the helpless, complex look in the eyes of that doctor in the wool coat, who called himself a friend of Mr. Lin, after he finished checking his grandmother’s condition...

Even though Mr. Lin had risked his life to bring back various medicines, they ultimately couldn't save his grandmother’s life. Under such heart-wrenching torture, any medicine lost its original effect. Kong Baosheng could only watch helplessly as the old woman who had raised him with such hardship died in agony on her bed.

Kong Baosheng couldn't understand it. He had given his grandmother her medicine on time, and she had been fine just yesterday—how could she suddenly become like this today...

Even now, Kong Baosheng still hadn't come to his senses.

"Baosheng, the dead cannot return to life... Grandma is gone, let’s arrange her funeral," Li Qingshan said with a long sigh, looking at the body wrapped in the bedsheet.

Seeing Kong Baosheng like this, Li Qingshan didn't feel good either. Not to mention how much he usually liked this child, Li Qingshan had also relied on his own grandmother since he was young. Just by putting himself in Kong Baosheng’s shoes, he felt as if his heart were breaking, filled with immense sadness.

"Yes, Grandma is gone, and you are the only adult in the family now... You must act like an adult and send Grandma off, letting her see that you can take care of yourself," Huang Suyu also nodded repeatedly, encouraging him.

Kong Baosheng blinked hard, determination appearing in his red eyes. He wiped the tear stains from his cheeks and nodded heavily:

"I can do it... I will definitely do it well! Grandma loved growing flowers the most; I will definitely make sure she leaves with dignity."

Just as they were speaking, a figure in red stepped over the threshold of Jinghong Building.

Uncle Quan, who was sitting not far away, saw the familiar semi-transparent figure and was stunned for a moment, followed by a look of horror in his eyes!

"You... you, you..."

Li Qingshan, Kong Baosheng, and Huang Suyu turned to look, only to see a figure draped in a bright red opera robe standing quietly in the hall, frowning as he surveyed the scene.

"Brother Lin!"

"Mr. Lin?!"

"Special Envoy!!"

The three of them shouted in unison.

Kong Baosheng was stunned. He stared blankly at the semi-transparent, ghost-like Chen Ling for a long time, then fell to his knees with a thud, crying uncontrollably:

"Mr. Lin... I’m sorry... I’m sorry! If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have risked going out to get medicine, and you wouldn't have... After I finish Grandma’s funeral, I will come down immediately to apologize to you in person... Whatever I owe you in this life, I will repay you as a beast of burden in the next!"

Kong Baosheng kowtowed desperately to Chen Ling, until the ground was stained with blood. Seeing this, Chen Ling spoke immediately:

"What kind of nonsense is this... Stand up, I’m not dead yet."

The sudden voice of the "ghost" Chen Ling plunged the entire Jinghong Building into deathly silence.

"Brother Lin... you... what is this..." Upon seeing the semi-transparent Chen Ling, Li Qingshan had initially thought it was a ghost, just like Kong Baosheng, but upon closer thought, Chen Ling wasn't dead at all!

"This thing is complicated to explain. In short, my physical body is not here; this is just a wisp of my consciousness." Chen Ling’s gaze fell on the corpse on the hall floor, and his brow furrowed involuntarily.

"What happened here?"

Learning that Chen Ling was not dead and that the figure standing there was not a ghost, everyone’s expressions visibly relaxed. Li Qingshan briefly recounted the news of Kong Baosheng’s grandmother’s death, which surprised Chen Ling.

Chen Ling did not know about the "Philosopher’s Stone" intelligence, nor did he connect her death to the Wuji Domain; he simply felt that human life was indeed fragile at times—a single illness could take everything away.

He remained silent for a long time before slowly uttering two words:

"My condolences."

The current Chen Ling had not yet emerged from the influence of having just transformed into an "audience member." The Fourth Wall still existed, and even though it was very thin, it still greatly reduced Chen Ling’s empathy... Looking at the red-eyed Kong Baosheng, he could not share in his grief, but he still replied according to social etiquette.

Kong Baosheng was startled. He looked at the semi-transparent red robe and felt that Mr. Lin seemed different from before... but he couldn't say how.

"I came here to tell you one thing." Chen Ling’s gaze swept over everyone, getting straight to the point.

"...What?"

"The Domain War is about to break out. You must leave here as soon as possible."

"The Domain War??"

Huang Suyu was stunned. Among those present, perhaps only she could instantly realize what this term meant, her eyes filled with shock. "Special Envoy, are you serious?"

"Of course," Chen Ling said sternly.

"Right now, the halls and other members of the Floating Life Painting are rushing to the domain border. I estimate that the people from the Wuji Domain will arrive soon... Once the Domain War begins, the scope of the impact will inevitably be vast, and the Red Dust Main City will become the enemy’s primary target.

This place is no longer safe."

"But... but if even the Red Dust Main City isn't safe, where can we go?" Uncle Quan’s brow was tightly locked.

"Go to Willow Town." Chen Ling looked at Li Qingshan. "Once the flames of war are ignited, Willow Town will be the safest place in the entire domain. You should set off as soon as possible."

Li Qingshan didn't understand why Chen Ling said Willow Town would be the safest, but he chose to believe Chen Ling immediately, then asked in return:

"What about you? Brother Lin, are you safe?"

"I can protect myself."

"But, what about Jinghong Building?" Kong Baosheng asked blankly. "Jinghong Building is still here. If we leave, won't there be no one here? Where will we sing in the future? Where will the guests go to listen to the opera?"

Kong Baosheng shook his head subconsciously, muttering:

"No... I have to stay. Someone has to look after this place... We cannot lose our Jinghong Building."

"Baosheng, this is no longer about Jinghong Building." Chen Ling’s brow furrowed slightly. "I said, the entire Red Dust Domain is in danger. Not to mention whether the Red Dust Main City will still exist after this battle, even if it does, there won't be many survivors left. Who would have the mood to listen to opera?"

"But what if? What if someone wants to listen to opera in the future?"

"Is the opera important, or is your life important? Can’t you tell?"

"But, but the opera house... it’s our opera house, Sir!!"

"So what? It’s just an opera house. It has fulfilled its mission; that is enough."

"Then do you mean you won't sing anymore?" Kong Baosheng bit his lips. "You don't want Jinghong Building either?!"

The sudden argument left Li Qingshan and Huang Suyu stunned. They never expected that Chen Ling, who was always the most reasonable, and Kong Baosheng, who respected him the most, could actually argue...

Just as Li Qingshan was about to speak to persuade them, Chen Ling stared fixedly at Kong Baosheng and said slowly:

"On the day the opera house opened, I set a rule: Jinghong Building does not sing when it rains."

Chen Ling raised his hand, his bright red sleeve pointing at the drizzling rain falling above the hollowed-out roof.

"The storm facing the Red Dust Domain will not stop easily... There will be no chance for Jinghong Building to sing again."