Chapter 660: The True Red Dust

"...What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said," 8 of Spades said calmly. "What you are seeing now is the real 'Red Dust'."

Chen Ling's gaze swept across the surroundings. Everywhere he looked was barren and dilapidated, even more desolate than the Aurora Domain on the Far North Ice Plains. He couldn't reconcile this place with the Jiangnan town he had seen before... For a moment, Chen Ling felt dazed.

"How is this possible?" Liu Qingyan shook her head immediately. "I grew up here; it wasn't like this before."

"What you saw was merely a facade whitewashed by the Architects."

"...A facade?"

As a native of Willow Town, Liu Qingyan still couldn't accept this explanation.

"It's paint," Chu Muyun said, standing up slowly and rubbing the brightly colored viscous liquid between his fingertips. "The birds that fell just now had no biological organs... They were indeed fake."

"Not just the birds... the flowers, grass, and trees of the Red Dust Domain... every plant you can see with the naked eye is whitewashed, and the sky is the same." 8 of Spades casually plucked a withered yellow leaf and threw it on the ground.

"This is their true form."

"Are you saying that the Jiangnan we saw in the Red Dust Domain is all fake??" Jian Changsheng widened his eyes in disbelief. "The peach blossoms, the willow trees, the small bridges and flowing water... were all painted? How is that possible?!"

They had lived in the Red Dust Domain for some time. It was no exaggeration to say that the scenery here was among the top three of the nine human domains; calling it the most livable domain was no stretch... But now, one sentence from 8 of Spades had completely overturned everyone's perception.

"To be precise, the small bridges weren't painted; they were built by people later... In short, all the buildings are real."

"The buildings are real... but the environment is fake?"

"You could put it that way."

"These plants are indeed not right," Chu Muyun remarked, examining the withered yellow leaf. "Even the plants in the Far North's Aurora Domain have more vitality than these... Besides, I've never seen these species before; they don't look like normal plants."

"This land cannot grow normal plants..." 8 of Spades paused for a moment.

"Because the Red Dust Domain is, in fact, a nuclear ruin."

……

In the misty rain, a figure in green robes carried a boy on his back, walking slowly forward.

The silhouette of the Red Dust main city gradually faded behind him. On this main road leading to various small towns, groups of refugees carrying bags of all sizes were passing by in a hurry, their faces filled with panic and worry.

"Walk faster! If we're this slow, what if the enemy catches up?"

"We can't go any faster. Look at Mom's face... She already has lung cancer. If we go any faster, I'm afraid her body won't hold up."

"Forget it, Mom. I'll carry you for this last stretch."

"Don't push yourself, you still have that injury on your waist..."

"I'm fine. You just take care of the kids. The main city is right ahead."

"Daddy... I'm so hungry."

"Be good, just a little longer... Once we reach the main city, Daddy will buy you something to eat."

“……”

Li Qingshan brushed past them. He looked back at the family's retreating figures, opened his mouth to say something, but ultimately fell silent.

Currently, the Red Dust Domain was calling for residents to take refuge in the main city, while Chen Ling had said Willow Town was safer... The two were not mutually exclusive. Perhaps both places were safe, but even if Willow Town were safer, it couldn't accommodate hundreds of thousands, or even millions, of refugees. Only the Red Dust main city could do that.

Moreover, Li Qingshan had another reason for his obsession with returning to Willow Town: his grandmother was still there.

Li Qingshan didn't know if she had received the news about the evacuation, nor did he know if she had set off for the main city. After all, she was old and had trouble walking. Li Qingshan was worried she might meet with an accident... Only by seeing her with his own eyes could he feel at ease.

A rustling sound came from behind Li Qingshan. Kong Baosheng, who was slumped on his back, opened his eyes hazily.

"You're awake?"

"...Mr. Li, where are we?"

"We've already left the city."

Kong Baosheng froze. He recalled what had happened before he lost consciousness and realized what had occurred, his expression turning incredibly complex.

"I'm sorry, Baosheng, I..."

Li Qingshan was about to explain, but Kong Baosheng shook his head.

"Mr. Li, you don't need to apologize to me... I know you did it for my own good."

Grandma was dead, Chen Ling was gone, and the opera house was far behind him... There was no anger on Kong Baosheng's face. He just looked quietly at the main city in the misty rain, his hazy eyes filled with shattered sorrow, like a traveler who had lost everything, looking back at the past slipping through his fingers.

Seeing this, Li Qingshan didn't know how to comfort him, so he just said softly:

"...Baosheng, have you ever been to Willow Town?"

"No, I've never left the main city."

"Actually, Willow Town is quite nice," Li Qingshan said patiently. "Although it's not as prosperous as the main city, life is simple and the environment is quite good... There's a Three-Eye Bridge in front of our house. Standing on it, you can see the entire Willow Bank Causeway. At night, boats glide underneath, looking as full and round as the moon... The hill where I usually go to gather firewood isn't big, and the trees are dry and withered, but they are green all year round, looking like emeralds from afar... And the little hill where I practice my singing, standing on it you can see..."

Li Qingshan talked for a long time, from the Willow Bank Causeway to the Three-Eye Stone Bridge, to the town market and the cultural landscape... Kong Baosheng, lost in his sorrow, was unconsciously drawn in by Li Qingshan's description, gradually becoming entranced.

"Sounds... very nice."

"Right?" Li Qingshan smiled slightly. "Actually, sometimes you don't need to think so much... Consider this trip to Willow Town as visiting a friend. After all, I've been bothering your family for so long, it's time I invited you to sit at mine. Once we get to Willow Town, you can have a good rest for a while...

My house isn't big, but you can sleep with me, just like I did with Brother Lin back then."

Kong Baosheng gave a soft "mm" and climbed down from Li Qingshan's back.

"How much further?"

"Willow Town isn't far from the main city. If we walk in that direction for a while longer, we'll reach my..."

Li Qingshan raised his hand, pointing toward a lush forest in the distance. Before he could finish his sentence, a breeze brushed across his face.

Whoosh—

Sand and grit got into Li Qingshan's eyes. He rubbed them and opened them again, only to freeze in place.

His finger was still pointing toward his home, but the vibrant spring scenery had been wiped away as if by an invisible hand. Everywhere he looked, there were only barren houses and desolate, withered forests.

"...Home?" Li Qingshan muttered the last word blankly.