Chapter 970: Shen Nan’s Thoughts

Crack—

A roaring thunder sounded beside the child’s ear, and his consciousness instantly vanished, causing him to collapse on the cart.

Rainwater streaked along Shen Nan’s fingertips. His palm remained in a stroking posture, and the grotesque mask stared at the fainted child, fierce and terrifying.

“Xiaotian!!”

The woman, who was still kowtowing, cried out in alarm and stumbled to her feet to run over.

Shen Nan slowly withdrew his palm. The grotesque mask glanced at the woman running over, and his figure began to sway on tiptoe again, like a drunken dancer, hopping away into the distance with the flag on his shoulder.

The woman terrifiedly helped the child up from the cart and took off the sack and quilt from his body. Seeing the scene in front of her, she suddenly froze on the spot.

The large tumor that had been growing on the back of the child’s head had disappeared, as if an invisible hand had smoothed it away completely… At the same time, the child’s thin, rail-like body was visibly regaining its color!

Rainwater streaked across the child’s skin like pearls falling from the sky. The woman stared blankly at this scene, her hands trembling as she held his body, as if in a dream.

“Mom…” a faint murmur sounded from her arms, like a bolt of lightning striking the woman’s mind.

She suddenly came back to her senses, held the child, and looked toward a certain direction in the rain curtain, then fell to her knees with a thud, her forehead kowtowing against the ground again and again.

Bang, bang, bang—

The sound of the woman’s kowtowing was drowned out in the rain, and she didn't stop even when blood began to flow from her forehead.

At the end of the misty street, the black and red theater-robed figure danced and waved his flag, like a god who had come to the human world for fun, laughing as he returned to the heavens.

……

Under the drizzling eaves, Shen Nan slowly removed the Nuo mask.

Although he had only worn the mask for a few minutes, Shen Nan’s face was already as pale as paper. He let out a long, turbid breath and looked back behind him.

“How was it? Did you see clearly?”

A figure in a coat had arrived under the eaves at some point, looking at him with a complex expression.

Shen Nan showed an “as expected” expression.

“You didn't see clearly? This dance is indeed too complicated… next time we’ll…”

“I saw it clearly,” Chen Ling said slowly,

“This dance isn't difficult for me.”

Shen Nan: …

Chen Ling was telling the truth. He had the foundation laid by the Theater Path Ancient Archive, and this kind of physical movement really wasn't difficult… The reason he was silent was that he saw the shadow of his father saving him all those years ago in Shen Nan’s actions of saving the child just now.

“So, do you usually use the power of [Nuo] to do these things?”

“Mostly, yes. I don’t like fighting, and usually, no one comes to me to fight…” Shen Nan lowered his head, looking at the Nuo mask in his hand, a trace of loneliness flashing in his eyes,

“Besides, in this world, perhaps no one else can do these things except me.”

Shen Nan was the world’s only [Nuo] and the only one who could bring down divine miracles. If he didn't do certain things, some people would lose the possibility of living forever… Compared to killing, Shen Nan preferred to use his power to save people.

“But you are essentially an ordinary person,” Chen Ling’s Secret Pupil stared at Shen Nan’s cheek,

“Putting on the mask makes you a ‘God’… This is a gift, but also a pressure. Using the power of [Nuo] too much puts too much burden on your body… Short life, sudden death, premature aging—one of them will eventually fall on you.”

“I know.”

“Then you should cherish your own life and use the power of [Nuo] less.”

“But I’ll die of old age sooner or later, won’t I? Instead of living as if I hadn't seen anything, it’s better to make a limited life more meaningful… Perhaps this is the reason heaven let me live.”

Shen Nan gripped the mask tighter. He seemed to recall something, his gaze incredibly complex,

“And, if my power alone is limited… then it would be good to have one more [Nuo] in this world.”

“So, when you specifically ran to chase me, you had already decided to make me [Nuo]?” Chen Ling’s eyebrows raised slightly, and everything connected,

“No wonder you took the initiative to suggest you could help me solve the problem of two souls in one body, and brought me all the way here, making masks and teaching me the Sacrificial Dance.

From the beginning, you saw the ‘Theater’ and ‘Shaman’ inside me… You actually weren't without desires. You wanted the world to give birth to a second [Nuo], so that after you die young, this path won't be completely forgotten.”

Shen Nan didn't deny it. He looked into Chen Ling’s eyes and smiled slightly.

Chen Ling sighed helplessly.

Although Shen Nan’s approach to him was indeed with ulterior motives, in the end, Shen Nan’s purpose was pure and selfless. He could indeed solve the two-souls-in-one-body problem, but he hoped that at the same time, [Nuo] could be passed on.

Chen Ling felt no anger at being calculated; instead, he admired Shen Nan even more. In this peaceful era where everyone was driven by self-interest, the appearance of someone like Shen Nan was truly a blessing for humanity.

“I can try, but as I said… I can’t guarantee I can do it. After all, there are still differences between you and me.”

“I know, your Theater God Path is twisted,” Shen Nan nodded slightly, “Actually, I’ve always been curious. My so-called ‘twisted divine path’ is just a combination of two divine paths and doesn't count as truly twisted… But your Theater God Path truly exudes eeriness from beginning to end.”

Shen Nan hesitated for a moment but couldn't help asking that question, “Can yours… really be considered a ‘divine path’?”

“…My situation is a bit special.”

Chen Ling could only be vague. It wasn't that he didn't want to explain, but he himself wasn't entirely sure what was going on with his twisted divine path.

Shen Nan didn't press him. He and Chen Ling returned to the open space in front of the dilapidated house. At this point, the rain had eased quite a bit.

Chen Ling looked at the dim daylight and confirmed the time he had left in the era archive:

——00:09:32。

Only less than ten minutes left…

“Since you’ve remembered it, come and try,” Shen Nan looked at Chen Ling with anticipation, “Put on the mask, dance like I did just now, and while sensing the divine descent, introduce the second soul into the Nuo mask.”

Shen Nan had spent so much energy bringing Chen Ling here just to witness the birth of the second [Nuo]. In a sense, he hoped for Chen Ling’s success even more than Chen Ling himself.

Yang Xiao and the others also turned to look at Chen Ling, seemingly curious.

Chen Ling looked at the black and white mask in his hand, took a deep breath, and slowly put it on his face…